BIONICLE - Phase 02: Illumination - Part I: The Bohrok-Kal Strike
by MakutaMutran
Summary: Advent is over. The Toa came and, as prophesied, defeated Makuta and his Rahi. Despite the appearance of the Bohrok swarms, they have emerged all the more victorious and powerful, now Toa Nuva. And yet, in a strange twist of events, the Toa Nuva find themselves more helpless than ever against an enemy team possibly more coordinated but definitely more potent.
1. Chapter 1

**Beginning Editor's Note: I do not claim to own the Bionicle characters or the majority of these plot points. The material here is simply an edited and compiled version of original Bionicle material. Between books, comics, games, animations, instruction booklets, etc. it is hard to get the full story. Here, comics and video games etc. have been transcribed in novel form and fully integrated into one chronological read. The poetic liberties of novelization and editing are all I can claim.**

**Be sure to follow/favorite/PM in order to show your support or interest, and use the forum I made to discuss any questions and feedback on this project. These next four parts constitute material from the story year of 2003, constituting what I've called "Phase 02: Illumination." **

**Thank you, and please continue to enjoy the wonderful and vast story of Bionicle...**

* * *

_Sequel to "Bionicle - Phase 01: Advent - Part V: The Bohrok Invasion"_

_Wall of History, Record 10—After the storm_

**PEACE RETURNS TO MATA NUI**

_As the defenders of Ga-Koro faced the Pahrak swarm, it seemed that all would be lost. The village's greatest monument lay smashed, its buildings torn and tattered, and the Boxors sent to protect it sunken to the bottom of Lake Naho._

_But suddenly something amazing happened. Everyone present turned to stare at the phenomenon, as a strange symbol appeared above the Ga-Suva. A blinding light burst from the shrine, shining upwards like the very beacon that first summoned the Toa from the sky to the shores of Mata Nui. Five others rose to join it from the other Suva, and as they lit up the morning sky, the Pahrak…stopped._

_All across the island, the destructive rampage of the Bohrok came to a halt as the light of each Suva reached up to the sky. Beams of radiant white light were directed through the Kanohi carvings in the Ga-Suva's walls and struck the Pahrak's faceplates. Far below the surface of the island, the Toa had triumphed over the Bahrag, twin rulers of the Bohrok nest. The defeat of the Bahrag severed their link with the Bohrok, and the Bohrok machines collapsed to the ground._

_"With their link to the Bahrag gone," Turaga Vakama explained, "the Krana that the Bohrok carry no longer control them. On their own, the creatures are harmless—the threat of the Bohrok swarms has been ended!"_

_Turaga Whenua agreed. "Without the will of the queens, the Bohrok are like machines, lacking direction of their own. Set them to a task, though, and they will eagerly carry it out."_

_So now the swarms aid in repairing the very damage that they caused! As the Matoran mend their villages and homes with the help of these unlikely new allies, volunteers are collecting the remaining Krana, hiding them away where they can do no more harm. Now, the Toa have returned to us as the Toa Nuva, their powers greater than ever before. With the Rahi tamed, the Bohrok working alongside the Matoran, and the Krana sealed away, the threat of Makuta and the Bohrok swarms is finally at an end._

_Peace has come at last to the island of Mata Nui._

_-Takua, The Chronicler-_

X X X

"Look out below!"

Pohatu Nuva glanced up as he stepped out into the sandy main street of the desert village of Po-Koro. A hail of stone rained down from the wall that surrounded the village. "Good job," he called to the workers atop the wall. "At this rate, you'll have this section of the wall repaired before sunset."

Pohatu Nuva was loyal, noble, and trustworthy, and considered all the other Toa Nuva to be his friends. His brown armor made him the Toa of Stone, which meant he possessed enormous strength, could smash rocks with his fists, and could throw giant boulders at his enemies. He carried two climbing claws, which helped him scale the rocky peaks near his home. They could also be combined to form a ball called a Kodan ball—a name created by the Turaga of Po-Koro, Onewa. That Kodan ball could be kicked by Pohatu and shear through solid stone.

"Thank you for your kind words, Toa!" one of the workers called back to his comment.

Pohatu glanced at Onewa, the leader of the village, who had followed him outside. "They'd better be careful about calling me 'Toa' like that," he joked. "Especially when Toa Tahu is listening. It's supposed to be 'Toa Nuva' now."

Onewa chuckled. "Indeed," he agreed. "There have been a lot of changes on Mata Nui since you and the other Toa arrived."

"Yes." Pohatu looked down at himself, still a little amazed at the changes in his own body. It was stronger and sleeker than ever, with gleaming silver armor highlighting his bronze-and-tan limbs and torso. His mask had changed, too—instead of its old, smooth bullet-like shape, it was ridged and spiky, and provided him with even stronger powers of speed.

There was another shout from the direction of the village wall. Pohatu and Onewa watched as several large, beetle-like creatures hauled a large chunk of stone toward the broken section. A villager pointed and called out, and the creatures obediently turned slightly to the left.

"Who would have thought it?" Pohatu said. "Not long ago we were fighting the Bohrok swarms. Now they're helping us repair the damage they caused."

"It is amazing indeed, Toa of Stone," Onewa agreed. "I must admit, I was not certain it was the right decision, letting the Bohrok armies into the villages so soon after you and the other Toa defeated their queens."

"How could it be the wrong decision?" Pohatu said. "After all, it's one of the few things we six Toa have agreed upon since we arrived here."

It hadn't been long ago that he and the other Toa had first awakened on this island of Mata Nui. Even though the Toa were 'six heroes with one destiny', they didn't always find it easy to work together. But they had come together when it counted, most recently to defeat the Bohrok sent by Makuta.

For many, many generations, the evil Makuta ruled the island of Mata Nui. He was the subject of more myths and legends than any other being on the island. But little was truly known about him. No one had ever seen Makuta and returned to tell of it—even the Toa saw only one small part of his true form.

In the end, the Toa had trapped the twin queens of the swarm, Cahdok and Gahdok—first with the help of the powerful Exo-Toa armor they had discovered in the queens' underground lair and then by creating the mysterious substance known as protodermis. At the same time, the Toa were exposed to some protodermis themselves and emerged from it changed…into the Toa Nuva.

Very little was known about the strange substance of protodermis. The Matoran of Onu-Koro had been mining it for many years as a source of energy, but even they were uncertain of what it was or where it came from.

"Besides," Pohatu went on as he watched the Bohrok maneuver a square chunk of rock toward the wall, "we know now that it was the Krana—the mysterious beings they carried within them—that controlled them. Now that the Krana have been removed, there is no reason to fear the swarms anymore."

"Turaga! Turaga!" a shout interrupted their conversation. They turned to see a villager racing toward them.

"What is it, Huki?" Onewa asked as the Matoran skidded to a stop before them.

Huki gave a slight bow. "Forgive the interruption, Pohatu Nuva," he said, "but something extraordinary has just happened."

Pohatu and Onewa followed as Huki hurried back toward the center of the village. He led them to the village shrine known as the Po-Suva. A crowd of Po-Matoran had gathered there, clustered near the Suva's entrance.

"Move aside!" Huki shouted. "Let the Toa Nuva and Turaga see." The villagers did so, murmuring with wonder.

Pohatu saw a bronze-colored object hovering just above the ground. "What is it?" he wondered aloud, taking a step forward. It was about the size of his mask, with carved lines forming a narrow pattern in its smooth surface. Onewa took in a sharp breath. "What?" Pohatu glanced at him. "Do you know what this thing is?"

The Turaga frowned. "I do, but I am curious as to its state. This is your Toa Symbol," he explained. "Each of you Toa received one at your Suva upon your defeat of the Bohrok. They appeared and were the source of the Krana's demise when they lost contact and telepathic communication with the Bahrag. Whether this is a result of the defeat of the swarms themselves, your imprisonment of the Bahrag, or your transformation into Toa Nuva, we do not know."

Onewa moved closer to study the symbol. He continued explaining to the crowd, "But when they appeared, they were nought but power—physical form and embodiment of your elements. In Ga-Koro, for example, where I was when the swarms were defeated, Gali Nuva's symbol was first made of water."

Pohatu examined the symbol. His personal element of stone could sometimes make it hard to distinguish from one solid mineral to another, but now he could see what the elder was saying. "But this isn't regular old elemental stone—it's made of protodermis now," he said.

"Yes," Onewa confirmed.

Pohatu looked at the symbol, then back at the village leader. "So?"

"We must not overlook items that could be of significance," Onewa warned, holding up a stern finger. "These symbols represented the island's victory over destruction, but their symbolism may come to be more than simply metaphorical." The Turaga turned back to the Matoran. As he left, he ordered over his shoulder, "Huki, double the guard—and lead the troop."

X X X

"Don't be late, don't be late," Lewa Nuva, Toa of Air sang to himself as he launched himself off of a cliff near the edges of Le-Wahi. Don't be late. It was the last thing Toa Onua Nuva had said to him when the six Toa Nuva had parted ways.

The bright green-armored Lewa Nuva was rash, bold, and often plunged into situations without considering the danger. His experiences had given him respect for the perils of Mata Nui, but he still loved adventure and exploration. His new twin air katanas helped him do that. They were two sharp blades that could cut through dense jungle growth, but they could also be used as glider wings, allowing him to soar above the trees with the help of his elemental and mask powers. He could control wind, creating tornadoes and hurricanes, he could calm windstorms, and he could combine his power with Gali Nuva to create thunderstorms. The other five Toa Nuva were waiting when Lewa finally flew in and reached the meeting spot. Gali smiled at him, and Pohatu gave a friendly wave.

Gali Nuva was the only female Toa, wearing blue armor. She was gentle, kind, and peaceful—but if the people of Ga-Koro were threatened, she would never hesitate to use all of her awesome powers in their defense. Her Nuva tools were two aqua axes, powerful enough to slice through the toughest undersea obstacles, and they could be used as scuba fins for faster speeds underwater. She could command the water to create tidal waves, whirlpools, and floods, she could swim faster than any known underwater creature, and was very good at sensing changes in the natural world.

"Greetings, brothers," Lewa called. "And sister," he added with a wink at Gali, the Toa of Water. "Did I late-miss anything important?"

Onua, the Toa of Earth, greeted him with a nod. He was the wisest of the Toa. He spoke only when he had something important to say and was always willing to help his friends. He was trusted and respected by all. His evolution brought him two handheld chainsaw-like quake-breakers that could tunnel through earth and rock. They could also be attached to his feet and used as all-terrain treads. His powers remained impressive—tunnel tunneling through any substance, causing earthquakes, and skilled night vision. His black armor showed him as the protector of the earthen Matoran. "We have just recently arrived ourselves. But how are things in Le-Koro, brother?" he asked, in his deep rumbling voice. "We have all wondered."

Lewa's smile faded as he thought of the rubble that was all that had remained of his tree-bright village after the Bohrok got through with it. Although the treetop village of Le-Koro was disguised to look like hanging jungle weeds, this had not been enough to fool the Bohrok. The village was heavily damaged by the Lehvak and was only recently rebuilt. Now the tall trees were once again alive with the chatter of Le-Matoran…but the swamp below remained a fearful place where few dared to go. If only he had fought harder to resist the power of that Krana…he shuddered as he remembered the horrible feeling that had come over him when one of the Krana had taken over his mind. He shook his head, refusing to dwell any longer on such things. The past was past, and even a Toa could not change time. "We are hard-working," he said. "There is much to do, but we are making progress."

"That is good to hear, Lewa," Gali said. "Let us know if you are in need of our help."

Lewa shrugged. "Many-thanks, Gali," he replied. "But with my new powers, I true-doubt I will need much help with anything."

"Indeed." It was always a surprise when Kopaka Nuva, the Toa of Ice, had anything to say. But now his cool voice cut into the conversation. "I fail to see why any of us need to bother with these meetings any longer. Not until we discover how to awaken Mata Nui." It was the Toa's ultimate goal to reawaken the Great Spirit for whom the island had been named.

Kopaka did not like being part of a team. He was very clever and liked to deal with problems on his own. The other Toa Nuva thought he was unfriendly, but they also respected his intelligence and his instincts. He white armor hinted at his abilities to create storms of snow or ice, freeze any substance, and withstand extreme cold. The double-sided ice blade that channeled his power could be split in two and used as power ice-skates or separate swords.

"Let's not be hasty, brother Kopaka," Gali warned. "Even our new power doesn't mean we can go it alone from here on out."

"Oh, really? Watch this." The Toa Nuva's forms had granted them new weapons as well as powers and armor. Instead of Lewa's old single axe, he now dual-wielded twin air katana blades. He flung one of them upward, calling upon the power of the wind. It swept down with a roar, lifting the other Toa Nuva off their feet.

"Take care where you point that power of yours, brother Lewa," Tahu Nuva growled as he leaped to his feet. "You might just find yourself in hot water…." He sent a blast of flame out of his new magma swords.

Tahu Nuva's bravery and strength made him the leader of the Toa. He carried two magma swords that channeled his power, and they could be joined together to form a lava board, for surfing on molten protodermis. His temper was as legendary as his powers—create fire, melt any substance, withstand extreme heat—but he tried hard to keep it in check. His red armor noted him as the protector of the Matoran of Fire. He was fearless and would challenge any foe to protect his village and his people.

Lewa somersaulted out of the way just in time. "Is that the best you can do, Tahu?" he sang through the air.

Before long, all of the Toa Nuva had joined in, each trying to overwhelm the others with a show of his or her new powers. Pohatu unleashed a tornado of stones with his new climbing claws. Onua started an avalanche on a nearby slope using his chainsaw-like quake breakers. Tahu and Kopaka battled with their opposing powers of heat and cold. Even Gali finished by sending a mighty flood gushing out from her new double-headed aqua axes.

It wasn't long before the sport had become a team endeavor. Tahu, Gali, and Pohatu stood together in defensive and ready stances, with the Toa of Fire in the middle. Their silver Nuva armor glinted in the dim light that shone through the trees above them, and they held their Toa tools at the ready. In a stoic voice, Tahu called out, "Prepare yourselves! The ultimate challenge is about to begin!"

With that, the solemness of the moment was broken. The spry Toa Nuva leapt into action, turning into blurs of color as they leapt into battle. Gali raised her axes to summon a tidal wave, taunting over the noise of the churning waters, "Ha! After our struggles with the Bohrok, defeating these three will be no problem at all!"

The tsunami rushed straight for her target, Toa Nuva Lewa, who called upon the wind to lift him out of the way just in time, using his air katana as glider wings. His feet were splashed, but the rest of him stayed dry. Even the tips of his boots dried off in a second due to his new flight speed. He performed multiple flips in the air, spiralling and looping through the sky. "Think what you like, Gali," he cried, "but you'll have to be faster than that to stop me!"

Pohatu laughed. "Did you say faster?!" He activated his Kanohi Kakama Nuva and raced in circles underneath where Lewa was soaring, stirring up a huge dust cloud around his brother Toa. Lewa was in the middle of another aerial when the surprising storm sent him spinning. "How about this?" Pohatu called upward. "Let's see you glide out of a tornado on those 'wings,' Lewa!"

As Pohatu continued his circles, Onua Nuva looked on from nearby and drawled, "Now, Pohatu, my brother…didn't Turaga Onewa ever tell you?" His hands crackled with elemental power. "You always have to watch where you're running—especially when Onua Nuva is near!"

"Uh-oh," Pohatu muttered. The ground in front of him began to erupt as the very earth fragmented and shifted. Before he could change direction he found himself running up a steep ramp of earth where straight and solid dirt had been before. Pohatu tried to stop, but he continued to skid up Onua's small mountain until he flew off the end of it. "Whoa! Whoa! Whooooa!" he shouted, as he traveled through the air for several seconds before landing a ways off in the forest with a resounding crash.

Not too far away from a satisfied Onua, Kopaka grimly raised his shield and double ended ice blade as he turned to face his own adversary. "That leaves you and I, Tahu Nuva."

Tahu assembled his magma swords into a double-ended staff, similar to the Toa Nuva of Ice's. Confidently, he squinted and smirked, "No. That only leaves me." He raised his magma staff and sent a broad wave of elemental heat racing forward. As the fluid heat approached his rival Toa, Tahu mentally bent the power of flame with his mind, turning empty heat into intense flame. Once the flame was abruptly exploding around his foe, Tahu coalesced it into a swirling cage of flames, encasing the ice-wielder.

Tahu thoroughly expected this to incapacitate Kopaka, but couldn't stop his shoulders from slumping in disappointment when he heard his brother scoff over the blaze, "A fire cage? How…amusing." Raising his arms, Kopaka emitted a sub-zero wave of cold energy from his being, instantaneously freezing the flames and hot air solid. "That's enough to imprison a mindless Rahi, perhaps…" With a wide, powerful sweep of his tools, Kopaka's blade and shield broke through the ice. The action reduced the flaming cage to insignificant fragments sizing from pebbles down to glittering specks of crystals floating through the air. "…but not Kopaka Nuva!"

The white-and-silver Toa Nuva stood tall as the ice shards fell to the ground and glared at Tahu, daring the Toa of Fire to strike again. "You always were a little too confident, Tahu," Kopaka mocked, standing comfortably and unworried.

Tahu's temper flared at the insult and attitude, and with it, the temperature began to spike. "Beware, brother…when I turn up the heat, even the Toa Nuva of Ice will melt!" He ran at Kopaka, barreling angrily back into battle.

"Enough!"

The shout had come from Gali, who had placed herself bodily between the two feuding Toa. She placed her hands roughly on each of their chest plates, forcing them back from each other. "We've learned what we set out to learn," she said, struggling against the two. They stopped pushing, but she didn't move away.

Just then, Pohatu sped back into the clearing, the high velocity causing the trees around him to sway in the wind as he stopped by the other warriors. Seeing Gali between the other two, he could already guess what he had missed. "Well, that was fun," Pohatu said breathlessly, lightening the tone. "What will we do for an encore?"

Gali lowered her arms as she looked from one to the other. She looked sheepish. "As Toa Nuva, we have greater power—and greater control over that power—than ever before!" she said. Then she added, "It is a shame we cannot control our tempers as well."

"Perhaps we are all on edge, Gali," Pohatu said soothingly. "The struggle with Cahdok and Gahdok—our transformation into the Toa Nuva…"

"Not to mention rebuilding our villages," Lewa added, his mind wandering back to Le-Koro. Though he was smiling, his hands quivered slightly, impatient to get back to work helping with the repairs. "We have to make sure the Bohrok many-swarms and Bohrok Va get put to tough-work—repairing the damage they did!"

Pohatu nodded. "Right. Maybe Tahu and Kopaka did get a little carried away, but—"

"No."

Pohatu turned to look at the Toa of Fire.

"Gali is right. Maybe it would be best for us to go our separate ways for now," Tahu put in.

Gali was shocked. "That's not what I meant at all!"

"Our villages need us more than we need one another," Tahu continued.

"I agree," Kopaka said, nodding and turning away from the group. "This alliance is no longer necessary."

Gali recalled another time where she had been stunned to see the Toa of Fire and Ice agreeing upon something, but this time, she was more hurt than anything else. How can we be doing this again? she wondered, dismayed. "The Turaga have said all along that we are 'six who share one destiny,'" she reminded her fellow Toa. "Is this how we honor their wisdom—by splitting apart? Have we learned nothing from the past?"

Kopaka paused for only a moment to glance over his shoulder at the Toa Nuva of Water, then he continued on his way. Following his example, Tahu also left the group. Lewa shrugged. He liked Gali, but in his opinion she had always put a little too much emphasis on the unity part of the Matoran's favorite saying, even when it didn't seem necessary. He jumped on to a nearby tree branch. "Maybe the Turaga don't wise-know everything, Gali," he suggested. "If you want me, I'll be fast-helping to rebuild Le-Koro."

Gali turned to Pohatu and Onua, who had similarly decided to leave. It might not have been that they were as recklessly confident in their powers, but they didn't see any more to be gained by staying here; they, too, were departing for their villages. Gali held her arms out as she called after those ignoring her protests. "This is a mistake," she pleaded. "I can feel it. Please—what if we are needed once more?"

"We will tug that vine when we come to it, water-sister," Lewa called over his shoulder. "Quick-speed to you—I am out of here."

Gali dropped her arms in defeat. Though the others had left, she couldn't keep herself from muttering, "What if some new danger threatens Mata Nui?"

X X X

In a cave concealed by the dense jungle, activity was stirring where before there had been only hibernation. There was no slow awakening, nor question of directive; speed was key, and purpose was known. That was why only brief conversation was required to commence the team.

"Then we are decided…?" one asked.

"Yes, though there is no decision—only agreement. But what if the Toa Nuva should try to interfere?" another wondered. "Can we succeed where the Rahi and the Bohrok swarms have failed?"

"We can. We must." This being felt confident as well. "Our mission is different from theirs."

"The heart of the Toa Nuva's power lies in their villages," one commented, looking by light of flickering fire to carvings on the cave wall. There were six—one resembling each Toa, a warrior endowed with incredible powers and abilities. "Steal that heart, and they will be unable to stop us."

One raised a silver shield decorated with flames toward the wall. Out of the shield, a blast of high-voltage electricity shot, striking the place of the carvings. "They do not know who we are. They do not know we are here. They do not know why."

It pulled its shield back, cancelling its electric blast. "And when they do…it will already be too late." When the smoke cleared by the wall, the carving of the six Toa was utterly decimated, replaced instead by a single word:

KAL

* * *

**Editor's note: ** **There is a small deviation from canon in the scene where Huki shows Onewa Pohatu's newly appeared symbol. In the original source, Onewa simply says softly, "It is as it was foreseen..." However, this response ignores the events of the Battle of Ga-Koro in the Bohrok Invasion, particularly when he and Nokama witness the appearance of Gali Nuva's symbol. Thus, if he already knew about the symbols, but still needed to be surprised for some reason in Po-Koro in this chapter, some other change was required to make the story flow as originally intended. The explanation of the symbol's material composition-protodermis versus the patron Toa's element-does this without deviating from the rest of the story. **


	2. Chapter 2

On the outskirts of the village of Ta-Koro, Tahu moved with speed toward his village, eager to get away from his increasingly annoying team members. As a Toa of Fire, he had natural resistance to heat and flame. He would often navigate Ta-Wahi by surfing on the lava channels and flows, only minimally threatened by the molten rock. Still, though, even a Toa could not surf on magma alone. Before, as an ordinary Toa, he would have had to find a piece of rock and use that to surf. Now, as a Toa Nuva, he moved easily across the viscous liquid on his twin magma swords, assembled into a surfboard that suffered no detriment from the lava.

_Gali is wrong, _he convinced himself, rounding a turn. _A Toa Nuva can meet any challenge, alone AND unaided. _He approached and then jumped through the main gate of Ta-Koro, landing in the village's entry square. _We have our Kanohi and our elemental powers. THEY are our strength. _

Tahu looked up on a rise to see the fire elder, Vakama, coming toward him. Instead of a warm welcome, however, he was flanked by two Ta-Matoran guards. For a moment, Tahu had a flash of worry, wondering if Vakama had been taken by a Krana like Matau and the Le-Matoran population during the Bohrok Invasion, but there was no Krana on his face. "Vakama, why are the guards protecting the village of Ta-Koro from me!?"

At that, the two Matoran started, surprised to hear Tahu's voice. Then, embarrassed, they turned to return to their posts. "Forgive them, Tahu," Vakama answered, leading the Toa Nuva into the village. "They are not yet used to your new appearance…or your new power."

Tahu had felt moments of sympathy for the Matoran before, but not like this. They suffered persecution from the Rahi during the Dark Time, and once he and the other Toa arrived, the Matoran absolutely revered them. But was that reverence actually out of fear? The Toa controlled the very elements where the villagers lived, and now they had even _more _power. The concept of "too much power" was a completely foreign, alien, and silly thought to him. But now that he thought about it from the Matoran's point of view…

"Only the _enemies _of Mata Nui have _anything _to fear from me," Tahu assured the elder. Tahu considered Vakama a friend, too…if a little mysterious sometimes. He didn't want him to fear him, either. "I may have changed…but my love for my people has not."

"In their hearts, all Matoran know this," Vakama said, confidently, looking up at Tahu as the pair walked on.

Tahu Nuva was not the only thing new and different since the Bohrok Invasion. The village had changed, been upgraded, also. The Ta-Matoran Guard was known as one of the fiercest village militias, but caught by surprise, it was still the first to suffer at the claws of the machines when the Bohrok Wars began. There used to be a solid bridge connecting Ta-Koro to the surrounding bowl containing the Lake of Fire, with guard posts at both ends. Now, though, the bridge consisted of several stone platforms that could be raised and lowered into the lava moat with a lever's pull to provide passage into the village. It wouldn't solve all problems (such as flying Nui-Rama or Bohrok Vu) but it was one more addition of intimidation and safety, and Tahu approved.

Tahu soon realized Vakama was leading the two of them to the Ta-Suva, the fire shrine dedicated to him, personally, as the hero of flame. The Suva played a relatively large part in the lives of the Toa. Their primary function was to store Kanohi; a Toa could teleport masks to and from a Suva as needed. Suva physically stored the Kanohi, and when called upon, converted them to an energy form and transported them to the Toa's location.

_Though…what are they for now? _Tahu wondered. In their quest for the masks, the Toa had each gathered several different Kanohi. At the Kini-Nui, their six Great Kanohi masks were combined into a Golden Kanohi, housing elevated powers of all six masks as well as negating the need to switch masks. Upon transforming into the Toa Nuva, the Golden Kanohi had also transformed into their Kanohi Nuva. _We have no need of more masks, now, _Tahu thought.

But Vakama was focused on another aspect of the Suva. The fire elder bent over to a crevice in the side of the Suva and pulled out a square-like tablet. On the tablet were two L-shaped lines, one facing right and the other mirrored on the left. "Even now, in every village, the Matoran gather to celebrate the symbols of the Toa Nuva's might," Vakama said, holding the symbol up to Tahu. "For these appeared upon your victory over the Bohrok swarms and the Bahrag—they represent our peace. Each village will honor and protect the symbol of its Toa Nuva for all time."

Tahu watched as Vakama set the strange object into a niche in the wall of the Ta-Suva. Just like the other Toa's, this thing had appeared at the Bohrok's defeat, originally made of a burning fire. Now, it consisted primarily of protodermis, except for the two L-shaped glowing red lines on its face. "I still don't understand what it is," he said. "You say it's an icon—a symbol of my power. But what is its purpose? Where did it come from?"

"That cannot be said, Tahu Nuva," Vakama replied, bowing before the icon. "It is a mystery shrouded in the mists of the past."

"Yes," Tahu murmured with a twinge of annoyance. "There seems to be a lot of those."

Tahu stepped outside the Suva, but Vakama followed. "Tahu Nuva," he said. "Please come back inside for a moment. I have something of importance to discuss with you." Vakama drew the Toa back into the dark quiet of the Suva. "I have been consulting with the Turaga of the other villages. We wanted to make sure you and the other Toa Nuva know that there is still work to be done—that becoming Toa Nuva does not end with your new looks and strength. There is a new set of Kanohi Masks you must find to truly make use of all your new powers."

"New masks?" Tahu grimaced slightly. Soon after the Toa's arrival on Mata Nui, they had set out to find the sets of Kanohi Masks that would give them great powers. They had been hidden all over the island, and Makuta had set his vicious minions, the Rahi, to guard them.

"Yes," the Turaga answered. "The Kanohi Nuva. They appeared on the island near the time of your transformation. It should not be such a difficult task this time. As you know, the Rahi no longer answer to Makuta. And with the Bohrok no longer a threat…"

"…finding the masks should be as easy as a nice game of Koli," Tahu finished. "Alright. I suppose it's better to get this out of the way. Can you manage here without me for a while?"

"Of course," Vakama replied. "But…." His voice trailed off.

"Yes? What is it?" Tahu did his best to keep impatience out of his voice. "Is there something else?"

"There is." Vakama shifted his Firestaff to the opposite hand. "I—I don't know if the time is right. I don't know if any time would be right for this. And the wrong decision…"

"Yes, what are you saying?" Tahu demanded. It wasn't like Vakama to sound so hesitant. The Turaga was usually much more like Tahu himself—quick-thinking and decisive. "What's the big secret?"

Taking a deep breath, Vakama reached into an opening in the wall and pulled something out. Tahu stared at the item curiously. "What is that?" he asked, reaching toward it. "It looks sort of like a mask—but not any mask I've ever seen."

Vakama held up the object, both binging it into the light and keeping it out of reach. Its surface gleamed a deep flame orange. "It _is _a mask," Vakama said, his voice low and reverent. "The Kanohi Vahi—the Legendary Mask of Time. It is the most powerful mask of them all."

"Really?" Tahu reached out eagerly.

But Vakama pulled it out of reach again. "Wait," he said, his voice so serious and commanding that Tahu lowered his hand in surprise. "You must understand what this power means."

Tahu frowned, irritated. "I am a Toa Nuva," he reminded Vakama haughtily. "I know all about the use of power."

Still, Vakama held the Vahi away. He shook his head. "This is not the kind of power you have known," he said. "Your other powers are great indeed, but the power of the Vahi exists on a higher level. Do you understand what it would mean to control time itself?"

Tahu paused, turning over the question in his head. "I—I suppose it would be useful in battle," he said. "I could slow down time for my opponent, giving me the chance to defeat him before he could even make a strike. Or I could use it instead of the Kanohi Kakama, quickening time to get me somewhere fast. Or…"

"No!" Vakama sighed. "This is what I feared. You must think of the greater reality, Toa Tahu. For he who controls time controls reality—controls _everything._ Do you see?"

"I see that time connects all other powers," Tahu said slowly. "Nothing else can exist without it."

"Yes!" Vakama sounded pleased and relieved, though his voice still held an undercurrent of worry. "Now you begin to understand. It's one thing to control time and with it all of reality—and another to _lose _control of it all. The Kanohi Vahi can only be used in the direst emergency—when there is nothing to lose."

Tahu paused. "But, I might never reach such a state of desperation at all," he said. "I might never find a chance to call upon the Vahi."

"That is my hope," Vakama said. "In fact, I think it would be better if the other Toa never know you hold it unless you need to use it. Can you accept that, Tahu Nuva?"

Tahu thought for a moment, struggling with the idea. To have the most powerful mask of all and never to use it…never to let on that it existed…could he really maintain such a secret? "Why me?" he blurted. "Why should I be the one to be given this responsibility?"

"Why does anything on Mata Nui happen as it does?" Vakama responded. "We cannot know. We can only accept our destiny."

Tahu sighed. Unity, duty, destiny—such were the ideas the Matoran lived by. He glanced at Vakama, who was watching him carefully. How much did Vakama and the other Turaga really know about the Toa's destiny? He wondered. Did they see more of the future and past than they told?

"Alright," the Toa Nuva of Fire said at last. "I will do my best to protect this mask—and its secrets." He reached again for the Kanohi Vahi, and this time Vakama allowed him to take it.

X X X

A mixture of molten and solid rock poured over the lip of a rock formation in Ta-Wahi, raining heat and light in a stream between two walls of igneous rock. As the viscous liquid-solid mixture tumbled over, it fell below into one of the several lava-carved paths on the mountain. On its way to the the bottom, far lower, it passed a small rock bridge on the way. On that bridge passed two Matoran, silhouetted by the bright heat of the molten substance.

"I spent a long time wandering alone," Takua said with a smile, glancing at the hot surroundings. "It's good to have company in the wilderness."

Jala nodded. The time that Takua was referring to really wasn't all that long ago. It was a time when every Matoran needed to travel in fear due to the Rahi's aggressive behavior, caused by their enslavement to the dark oppressor, Makuta. With them freed and the Bohrok War over, there was much to be thankful for on Mata Nui. "Well, I'm glad to be getting back to Ta-Koro," he answered. "It's nice in Ga-Koro, and I enjoyed getting to know Hahli, Huki, and Maku, but I have been away from my people for too long."

Their pathway curved to touch the wall of the mountain. As they kept walking, their happy conversation was brought to a halt as a rock fell from above. They looked up together at the direction from which the rock had come, but saw nothing.

"What is it?" Takua asked, turning to Jala. While he himself had been through much, his friend, the Captain of Ta-Koro's defense forces, had sharper reflexes and skills.

Jala crouched slightly, ready to dodge or spring to the attack. He replied quietly, "We are being watched…" He pulled his throwing disk from his back, his eyes shifting directions.

Takua turned around, facing back the way they had come. He looked up to scan the ridge in that direction. Before he could react, he saw a huge shape flying toward him. "Whaa!" he shouted, before the object slammed into him. Jala jumped in surprise and reared back to throw his disk, then relaxed.

Takua was pinned to the ground, his arms and legs waving in the air underneath a large Ussal Crab. "Puku!" he cried, excited to see his old traveling partner. "What are you doing here, girl!?"

Jala slowly put away his disk, seeing the pair reunite. He still had his suspicions, though. "Come, let us hurry," he told the two. "The fires of Ta-Koro are near, yet there is a strange chill in the air."

Puku looked around, her eyes small bulbous orbs on stem-like appendages. She habitually moved over to her friend, allowing Takua to climb on. He patted and rubbed her carapace in his usual way, too. Then she brought him next to Jala. He nodded at Jala, and the pair resumed their return to the fire village.

As they the left the area, something else stirred behind them, this time unnoticed. Back up on the ridge that had overlooked them, a small shadow shifted into view. Concealed in a niche of rock, the bearer was hidden from the light of the surrounding lava, but its glowing blue eyes gave tell of its presence.

A small crackle of electricity jolted around its head. Then it continued its pursuit.

X X X

Lewa was sailing in for a landing on the outskirts of his village. He could see that the Matoran had made progress even in the short time he'd been away.

There was a crashing sound in the brush nearby. Lewa glanced toward it, expecting to see an animal. Instead, a Tahnok Va—a scout of the fiery Tahnok breed of Bohrok—emerged. _News…news ahead. _The thought slipped easily into Lewa's mind. He shuddered slightly. Because of his experience with the Krana, Lewa was the only Toa who could hear and understand the Bohrok's communication. He still couldn't quite get used to the fact that the swarms still had access to his mind, though it had certainly come in handy. "What news?" he asked the Tahnok Va, ignoring his own uneasy feelings. "What's happening? Is something bad-wrong at the village?"

_No…no…nothing wrong…_ With that, the Tahnok Va turned and scurried away into the jungle. Lewa frowned after it for a moment. Nothing wrong—he hoped that was true. It was still hard to trust the Bohrok sometimes after all that had happened. Whatever the news, Lewa figured he would know soon enough. He grabbed the closest vine and swung upward. "I'm back, little ones!" he called as he landed.

He need not have bothered. The entire population of the village was already gathered nearby. The Le-Matoran let out a cheer. "Heart-welcome back, Toa," Turaga Matau called. "We've been long-waiting for you. We just finished quick-repairing your Le-Suva and we can finally put your power icon in its right-proper place—in the heart of the wind-village." Lewa nodded. He had nearly forgotten about the strange floating symbol that had appeared out of nowhere earlier that day.

"And don't forget the celebration!" a voice shouted from the crowd.

"A celebration?" Lewa repeated. "What are we waiting for? Let's get started!"

A cheer rang out from the gathered villagers. Soon someone was playing a lively jungle tune on a Madu-shell xylophone, and Matoran were dancing, leaping, and swinging playfully on nearby vines. Turaga Matau put a hand on Lewa's arm. "Before you join the party, would you like to see your Suva?" he asked.

"Sure," he replied. He followed the Turaga toward a mound-shaped structure at the center of the village. Inside, the woven walls allowed only a dim glow of soothing green light to seep in from outside. At the center of the small, round room of the Le-Suva was a solid stone itself. A niche had been cut into the stone. Resting in it was the symbol.

Lewa gazed at it curiously. It was square and intricately carved out of a greenish stone-like substance. Where had it come from? What did it mean? He didn't wonder about it for very long. "Very nice," he told the Turaga. "But enough symbol-gazing. Let's get out there and have some more party-fun!"

X X X

"Turaga Nuju asks if you are pleased with this tribute to your might," Matoro translated for the Turaga of Ice. Behind him, a small troop of Kohrok Va worked fast in an assembly line fashion, carving ice and using it to assemble new dwellings for the Ko-Matoran after the village's damage from the Tahnok and Lehvak swarms.

Kopaka looked again at the moderately-sized tablet in Nuju's hands. On it was a carving of jagged lines, depicting a two-dimensional view of cascading mountains overlapping. "I am pleased that my people are safe," replied the Toa Nuva of Ice. "That is what is important to me. As for this…" he pointed Matoro back to the Nuva Symbol, "…it is only a symbol. It has no power, Matoro."

Matoro's features fell disappointed for just a moment, but then he lit up again. "I will guard it just the same, and it will be here when you return."

Even Kopaka Nuva didn't have the heart to tell the Matoran to do something more useful with his time. The symbol did, after all, represent victory over the swarms and the Toa themselves. Though he didn't like praise, sometimes the Matoran had to give it. Receiving it was not an act of arrogance like Tahu or excitement like Lewa, but actually…one of kindness. So, Kopaka nodded to Matoro and departed to patrol Ko-Wahi, alone with his thoughts.

X X X

On the slopes of one of the many mountains surrounding Mount Ihu, Kopaka Nuva skied through crevices and valleys. He passed the occasional Rahi, though they now held no terror for him. The vast majority of them were no longer possessed by Makuta's infected Kanohi, and the minimal stragglers that the Toa and Matoran might have missed would pose no threat to his new powers.

Still though, the Ice Toa couldn't help but reflect, _I am…troubled. Our new powers are great, but they have driven the Toa Nuva apart. Perhaps that is best, but…did someone—or something—know this would happen? Maybe even plan for us to split apart? _Kopaka's mind flashed back to Gali's words. _Is Mata Nui in peril once more? _

X X X

As Takua and Jala crested a rise, the walls of Ta-Koro's fortress greeted them before its ground horizon did. The black and grey stone work contrasted darkly to the bright glow of the surrounding lava below, though the frequent torches on its faces also lit up circles of glowing light. Its iron gate remained closed and the moat impassable.

One patrolman, Kalama, on the perimeter of the wall made another turn, causing his keen eyes to spot Jala's yellow-gold mask approaching. "The Captain!" he called. He turned around and called down to the gatekeeper. "The Captain returns! Open the gates!"

Jala and Takua approached the edge of the moat just as the stone slabs leading to the village rose out of the lava for them. Used to the routine, they crossed to the fire village, whereupon the main gate also opened, allowing the denizens refuge. It was not much longer before the two Ta-Matoran were in Vakama's hut, explaining their witness to the conclusion of the Bohrok Wars.

Vakama listened intently, staring deep into the large fire that resided in the center of his home. Takua spoke second of the two, and when he had finished, Vakama responded by turning to face them. "Your tale of the events in Ga-Koro is a fine one, Chronicler," he said. "You all behaved valiantly."

His business here done, Jala replied, "I must take my leave to conduct my rounds."

"I'll tag along," Takua said to his friend, "it's a decent night for a stroll."

Jala nodded his consent and the two bowed respectfully to their elder. "Turaga," Jala said in closing. Then the two left. While they were walking away, Jala pointed out to Takua with a grin, "_You _might be 'strolling', but I'm still on duty."

Takua just looked and smiled in return. He admired Jala's dedication to his duty—as a soldier, it made him dependable beyond measure, and as a friend it made him reliable. In this case, one could always count on the fact that he couldn't pretend to have fun. Takua was just glad he was able to find some relief during his taxing job.

The two approached the Ta-Suva, eager to see their own patron hero's Toa symbol, which they knew must have appeared as Gali's had when the Bohrok were defeated. Jala had decided to go there, first. "Ho, Guardsmen," he hailed through the dark night. "How goes the Watch?"

But when the two arrived, what they saw shocked them…but not as much as the posted guard. "What!?" Jala exclaimed. The guard was hovering in the air, stunned and jolting in a cage of lightning, the bolts running through his form. Behind him, a form was standing in front of the Suva, silhouetted by the shrine's energies.

Takua squinted, looking close at the thing's arms and legs. "A Bohrok…?" he cried in wonder. The mechanical beings now were obedient helpers of the Matoran. What was this one doing?

The Bohrok turned around, showing that it now held the Toa symbol from the Suva. The energies of the icon lit up its face, revealing red and silver detailing different from any other Bohrok the Matoran veterans had ever seen. It eyed the icon in its claws with pride before putting it into place on its back.

Takua pointed at it. "Tahu Nuva's symbol!" he exclaimed.

"Alarm!" Jala shouted, causing a horn to blow on the fortress wall. He drew his disk and hurled it at the intruder. In response it brought its shields together, creating a lightning ball between them. When it pulled its shields back apart, the ball flattened into a wave of electric energy, blasting outward.

The wave knocked the disk off course and continued toward Jala and Takua. Jala reacted before Takua did, shoving his friend out of the way to safety and taking the brunt of the blast. When he did, he found himself stinging up and down his body. It wasn't as bad as he would have expected, but there was another problem: "Can't…move!" he said weakly, as he hovered, paralyzed.

Takua pushed himself back up onto his feet and started forward. "Jala!" Two other Ta-Koro Guards came up beside him, trapping the powerful Bohrok back against the Suva. But without hesitating it made a high leap over the three Matoran and started making its way back to the entrance. It moved fast, almost too fast to see, jumping two more times before it suddenly stopped—another figure blocked its path.

"Halt, creature." The figure was difficult to see with the bright glow of lava behind him in the archway, but it was plain to see he was tall, had a double-ended staff sheathed on his back, wore layers of armor, and—most importantly—was a Toa. "I believe you have something of mine." He rose to his full height, revealing the large shape of the mask of Tahu Nuva. "And I want it back."

The Bohrok responded with another electric blast from its shields. Tahu drew and separated his staff into his two blades, but the blast went way high. Instead of him, it hit the stone arch of the wall above him. The structure cracked as the heat from the lightning fragmented it into falling debris.

"You throw rocks at me?" Tahu mocked, amused. He called forth his elemental power of unlimited flame, causing a ring of fire to explode around him, ready to incinerate several times the load about to fall on him. The blades of his swords, too, lit red-hot, and the flame-shaped metal work on their backs similarly ignited. His new metallic armor beautifully reflected the bright, dancing flames in bent, distorted picture. "I am _Tahu_, Toa of—"

Then it all went away. The immense heat, the flames, the livelihood of his blades, even the colorful red of his Kanohi Nuva—it all vanished in an instant. Tahu himself felt weaker and deprived. He looked down at his blades and arms, confused. "—Fire?" he finished vainly.

Tahu looked back up to the coming attack, just in time to see a barrage of rocks fall onto him, burying him deep and helpless under the mound of rubble.

X X X

Matoro stood admiring the Nuva Symbol. In this new era of peace, he could watch it for hours in meditation and reflection. As much as the other Matoran, maybe even more so, he looked up to the Toa, seeing them as role models. Though they were completely different species, they _were _somewhat related by their elements—maybe the Matoran could…pretend? They had fended off the Rahi before the Toa were on Mata Nui, and now, with them leading the Matoran, the villagers could achieve new levels of confidence and heroism.

"'Only a symbol'," Matoro muttered to himself. "But to we Matoran, it is much more: it is a reminder that the Toa Nuva will always be here to protect us."

"No. They will not," said a voice from behind the Ko-Matoran.

Matoro spun to face the unfamiliar voice. "Who—? Oh, no…NO!" He couldn't believe what he was seeing…he didn't even know exactly what he _was _seeing, but he didn't like it. It looked so similar… "I will stop you!" he shouted, grabbing a tool as he imagined Kopaka would. "I'll…I—I'm so heavy…can't stand…"

With that, Matoro slumped and crumpled to the ground. He hadn't been prepared for this kind of attack, and consequently ended up in an awkward heap on the ground, with his arm curved around his head. It felt like it weighed a ton…along with the rest of him. He looked up to see the legs of the aggressor step toward the Ko-Suva and remove the symbol. He forced words through his mouth, which was half above and half below the snow line. "But you can't—"

"I can," came the matter-of-fact reply. "My brothers and I will find the prize we seek…and neither Kopaka Nuva nor any other will stop us!"

X X X

Kopaka spanned a valley with an ice bridge almost as quickly as he slid across it. Sloping even slightly uphill, he pointed his double-edged ice blade in front of him and willed the ice beneath him in such a way as a propellent, something he hadn't had the power to do, before.

Still, his thoughts troubled him. _All seems peaceful…but isn't it the peace that comes before the avalanche? _

Suddenly, his sword stopped shooting out elemental energy. The ice beneath his skis no longer responded. With a cry of surprise, Kopaka slipped and began to slide back down the ice slide from whence he had come. But in his creation of the bridge, he had not bothered to put in structural supports—for his ice power kept him aloft. Now, the bridge, extending several tens of bios out from its original point broke under its own weight.

"The bridge!" Kopaka cried, as not only the joining point at the beginning of the valley, but also the rest of the bridge fragmented and shattered. _An ice slide will get me safely to the ground, and then— _He stopped. His sword still wasn't utilizing his will over ice. He put away his shield and tried to manifest his power with an open hand, but that didn't work, either. _What's this!? My ice powers—they're GONE! _

Kopaka tumbled helplessly down into the valley. _And without them—there is no escape! _

X X X

Lewa and Matau had rejoined the gleeful crowd on the dance platform. As he danced and laughed along with his villagers, Lewa could feel some of the tension of the recent battles draining away. _If only stuffy old Kopaka could see us now! _Lewa thought with a grin. _Or any of the others, for that fact-matter. Nobody knows how to have rest-fun like a Le-Matoran! _Overwhelmed by joy, Lewa shouted for attention. "Watch this, leaf-brothers," he cried, balancing on the edge of the platform. "I'll show you the kind of sun-soaring I can do with my new powers!"

He crouched briefly, then sprang up, putting all of his energy into the leap. Up, up, up…he soared straight into the sky above the treetops, higher and higher until he was almost blinded by the bright of the sun. "Yeee-haaaa!" he cried as he reached the top of the arc. He waved his hand, calling upon the air currents to carry him down. As he did, he glanced down. He was a bit startled by how high he was.

"Good thing my friend the wind is always ready to do my bidding," Lewa murmured. Realizing the breeze he'd summoned hadn't yet materialized, he swirled his hand in the air again.

Still the wind didn't respond.

"What?" Lewa cried, his heart clenching with fear as he tried again—and again. He felt himself plummeting downward as he realized the truth—his elemental powers had deserted him. He tumbled helplessly down toward the village far…_too_ far…below.


	3. Chapter 3

_Wall of History, Record 11—Theft of Fire_

**TAHU NUVA'S SYMBOL STOLEN!**

_Just as we thought the threat of the swarms was finally over, a new danger has emerged from the darkness. In a daring raid on Ta-Koro, Tahu Nuva's symbol of power has been stolen, and with it the Toa's control over the element of fire._

_The perpetrator had followed myself and Captain Jala, as we journeyed back to Ta-Koro from Ga-Koro, where the recent victory over the Bohrok swarms had just been achieved. The thief approached the Ta-Suva by stealth, incapacitating the Matoran on watch with some sort of electrical field. As the Ta-Koro Guard looked on helplessly, the creature—like a Bohrok in appearance, but far more powerful than any that we have encountered before—took Tahu's symbol from the shrine. The creature quickly imprisoned Jala in an electric cage and leapt away. _

_"__I have rarely felt so powerless," said Guard Captain Jala, "as when that…thing stood gloating before me with Tahu's symbol in its grasp, and I could do nothing to stop it."_

_Tahu Nuva appeared to block the beast's path before its escape, but it brought down a shower of stones upon him. The onlookers' relief at the Toa's arrival turned to dismay as mighty Tahu summoned his blazing elemental energies—and was buried beneath the rubble as his flame failed to appear._

_What does the appearance of this terrible new creature bode for Mata Nui, and what has become of the Toa Nuva of Fire?_

_-Takua, The Chronicler-_

X X X

Kopaka Nuva, Toa of Ice—bringer of winter, and a hero of Mata Nui—possessed abilities and a Kanohi Nuva that gave him great powers.

_Unfortunately, flying is not one of them, _he thought, worried.

Kopaka fell between the enclosing walls of the valley, as descending deeper to the surface brought the crevice gradually closer together. _I'm not certain why my ice powers have deserted me, _he thought, readying his ice blade. _But if this does not work, I will not have time to worry about it. _He flipped his blade sideways, its length now longer than the encroaching rock walls. Its tips scraped and screeched loudly against the faces. _Come on…come on! _

With enormous strain on his arm, Kopaka did feel his descent slowing until he finally came to a stop. _Too close…much too close! _he told himself. _But now, how to escape? _He let out a sigh. Suddenly, problems he could have solved easily the day before threatened to become more disasters like this one.

X X X

_Kraaa!_

Lewa's eyes flew open. He realized he had closed them to shut out the view of the hard ground rushing toward him. "Oof!" he cried as his descent was suddenly stopped just above the ground. For a second all he could see was a feathery neck. He clung to it, realizing he was still moving downward, but at a much safer speed.

"Are you okay, Toa?" a breathless voice asked.

"Kongu?" Lewa said, thinking it was one of the village's aerial defense fighters. "Is that you?"

"It's me and Ka," the Matoran responded. "It looked like you were in trouble-bad, so we up-flew to check."

"Thank you, brave-brother," Lewa said as he finally realized it was the beating wings and strong body of Ka the Gukko Bird that had stopped his free fall. He glanced at Kongu who was perched on the large bird's back. "I—I know not what wrong-happened, but the wind didn't answer my here-call."

With a squawk, Ka glided in for a landing, depositing Lewa on the swampy ground. "What do you mean, Toa?" Kongu asked. "How could the air-wind not respond to you?"

Lewa shook his head. "I don't know, little brother," he said. "It has not happened before." Not wanting to think about it anymore just then, he grabbed a vine and swung up into the village. Kongu followed aboard Ka. During his swing, he noticed that his legs were no longer a secondary light-green color, but were a dull grey. He decided he would figure that mystery out later. As he landed on the main platform, Lewa saw that the villagers were clustered together, their eyes and voices full of fear. "Don't worry-fret, little ones," he called, assuming that they were concerned for his safety. "I'm alright."

Matau rushed up to him, his eyes wild and frightened. "I'm glad-hearted to hear that, Toa Lewa," he said. "But I'm afraid there is other wrong-news. Your power icon has been stolen!"

X X X

"This creature," Onua Nuva said patiently, "what did it look like?"

The Onu-Matoran standing before him, a sturdy villager named Onepu, bowed his head. "It was large," he reported. "But I prepared to fight it."

Onua nodded. "Go on."

"I…I don't know how else to describe it," Onepu said, his voice shaking slightly. "It was hideous—terrifying. Its body had a metallic sheen, and its claws were huge. I shouted for help, knowing I could not hold it off for long on my own. Then it…it spoke to me." He was silent a long moment. Onua waited, gathering his patience. Finally, Onepu continued. "Its words were as metallic and cold as its body," he said, his voice twisted with horror. "It told me to step aside so that it might claim its prize. When I would not, it…it began to breathe in. Within seconds, it had sucked away all of the air within the Suva. I tried to hold my post, but with no air I found myself helpless. It pushed past me and grabbed the icon…and then it was gone."

Onua turned the story over and over in his mind. Who was this new, mysterious enemy with such strange and disturbing powers? What did it want with Onua's symbol?

"What does it mean, Toa?" Onepu asked meekly. "Why did it happen?"

"I thought these icons were merely that—symbols of we Toa's elemental powers, artistic tributes to our destiny," Onua said slowly, allowing the careful logic of his thoughts to unfold aloud. "But now I see that the icons actually held these powers in them. As long as my icon remained in the village, my power remained strong. Now that the symbol is gone, so are my powers." It was an uncomfortable feeling. Onua was accustomed to being the strongest of the strong. Now he was left helpless—and it seemed that a powerful new enemy had appeared on Mata Nui. _Just when we thought Makuta's forces were stamped out for good…_ Onua thought. He recalled Gali's words earlier that day. As usual, she had been right—she had been the only one with the wisdom to realize that Makuta would not be finished with them yet.

"What should we do now?" Onepu asked. "Should I call out the Ussal forces and go after the thief?"

"Not just yet," Onua said. "Go tell the Turaga what has happened. I'd better check in with the other Toa Nuva. Together we will decide what to do."

X X X

Jala, Takua, and Vakama watched anxiously at the pile of rocks that covered the last place Toa Tahu Nuva had stood. They hoped, waited, and expected movement to tell of survival. Vakama had a serious look of worry and Jala cradled and massaged one arm with his other while his mask had a couple marks of debris. After a long moment of stillness, Takua and Jala shared a somber look before Takua's head slumped.

The pile of rubble suddenly stirred, and from it Tahu punched himself out to the point where the top half of his form was visible. The movement surprised the Matoran's attention back onto the scene. "Tahu! You're okay!" Jala said, relieved.

Tahu walked over, with his magma staff sheathed behind him. His Nuva armor wasn't even scratched, but he did look different. His large mask, usually a gleaming red, now held no majestic reflection on its dull grey surface, and his legs were not the fiery orange they had been, but were similarly the color of common clay. "I'm not okay," he corrected. In his voice was anger, awe, and vulnerability. "My powers of heat and flame are gone. Taken by that thing."

"Turaga Vakama, what was that creature?" Takua asked. He looked back to the archway where it had escaped once Tahu had been defeated.

"Let us consult the Sacred Fire," Vakama answered. "In its flames we may glean the answers we seek."

X X X

The Sacred Fire was a large body of flame at the center of Vakama's hut. The Fire was continuously burning and changing in color, and it was said that its mystical energies gave the Turaga of Fire visions and premonitions of the future, making him one of the most prophetic elders.

Now, Vakama stood before it, with Takua and Jala off to his left and Tahu opposite them. He peered deeply into the fire, and then reflected that back into himself. He closed his eyes as he concentrated… He raised his arms, causing a small enlarging of the Flame for just a moment before it returned to normal. He turned to the other three. "The creature that attacked was a Bohrok-Kal," he informed, "an elite Bohrok. There are more, but I do not know where the others may be. But they have one mission—"

"Steal our powers!" Tahu cut in.

Vakama shook his head. "No, Tahu. Your powers were merely an obstacle to their mission that they have…removed. No, their mission is to free the Bahrag, giving reign and destruction to the Bohrok once more!"

"If this one was here, perhaps the others are stealing symbols from the other villages," suggested Takua.

"This may be," Vakama nodded. He turned to the Toa warrior. "Tahu, you should seek out the other Toa—even if they do not need aid, you could surely use theirs."

Tahu scoffed, scrunching his face up. _Being powerless is bad enough, _he thought. _But even the _possibility _of being the weakest of the Toa is worse…especially after our last meeting. _"With respect, Turaga, I do not need their help. Even without my elemental powers, I am a match for this rogue Bohrok," he said with a sweep of his arm. "I will hunt it down myself…" he pointed to the direction it had gone, "…and reclaim what it stole!" With that, the Toa left Vakama's chamber.

The two Ta-Matoran exchanged a look as he passed them. When he was gone, Vakama simply shrugged. "His pride puts him in grave danger," he noted. He glanced back at the Sacred Fire. "I cannot see to what purpose the creature will put the Nuva Symbol, but it worries me."

Jala spoke up. "I will go with Tahu. He will have my help, at least." Takua glanced at him. "By your leave, Turaga," he finished with a bow before exiting. Takua turned back to the leader and gave his quick bow as well before following his friend.

X X X

The two caught up with Tahu Nuva, just in time to look out from a cliff to survey the neighboring jungle of Le-Wahi. A long trek down slippery slopes and narrow paths brought the trio from the volcanic terrain of Ta-Wahi to the more fertile and untouched soil of the jungle. There, the sun shone down through the canopy in visible shafts of light, while the rest of the ground was mostly covered in shade.

The group walked single file, with Tahu in the lead and Takua in the rear, undisturbed for several minutes before their first interruption. A person suddenly fell right before them, landing hard in the foliage of the path. Takua cocked his head as Tahu visibly relaxed.

Lewa Nuva looked up from where he had fallen, though he had fortunately landed in some of the softer brush of the area. "Oh, my head," he said slowly. As he looked up, the sun illuminated that his mask, too, was no longer bearing its bright forest-green color, but a dull, poorly reflective grey. His legs were the same hue. He shook his head from the impact before looking up at his team leader. "You don't mind if I lay here for a while?"

Tahu came over and glanced down. "On your feet, Toa of Air. What happened?"

Lewa got up, brushing his armor off. "Well, I was quick-chasing a Bohrok…and, well, I found out leaf-running is not so easy-fun without my usual power-force over the winds."

Jala could barely believe his ears. Lewa? Fall? With a start, he came over to the green-and-grey Toa. "You fell out of a tree!?"

Lewa looked down at the figure half his size. "Hey, buddy, I can down-fall sometimes!" he said, defensive and agitated. "Well—thing is—I felt…I don't know, really heavy all of a sudden…. Hit pretty hard, couldn't land safe-right."

"It was the Bohrok-Kal," Tahu said. "They have strange powers."

Lewa brightened. "Yeah, that sure-had to be it. The Bohrok made me bad-fall!" He looked back down at Jala again. "There you go."

With the search party's company now increased to four, Tahu led onward to continue the pursuit of the Bohrok-Kal. He, followed by Jala and Takua, started walking through the jungle again. Lewa took a couple of steps, then stopped. "Okay, I'll just flat-walk on the ground with you guys this time…" Then he, too, caught up with the group.

X X X

The hot, unforgiving sun bore harshly down on Tahu, Lewa, Jala, and Takua, as they trekked across the Motara Desert of Po-Wahi. Even Tahu, with the robbing of his elemental powers, found himself wearing down under the sweltering heat of the sun. It was an odd feeling; heat exhaustion was something he had heard of and biologically understood, but to experience it personally…he found it was something he did not like.

The team traveled far, entering on the rocky side filled with canyons, and moving toward the sandy landscape covered in dunes. They left four sets of tracks themselves in the soft sand as they followed the traces of the symbol thieves.

Lewa jogged ahead of Tahu to the peak of their current sand dune. There, he leaned on one knee and shielded his eyes as he looked out over the lower expanse. Tahu and the two Matoran joined him. Lewa pointed to an indistinguishable event told by the tracks, and where more tracks moved away from the disturbed sand. "Looks like a third one joined up with the two we are hunting," he told the others. "I see three sets of tracks."

Takua looked around curiously, then turned to Jala. "You hear that?"

Jala looked around for a second before answering. He, too, heard the sound of bleating Rahi on the wind. "Sounds like a herd of Mahi. They run free in Po-Wahi."

Takua nodded. He had encountered infected Mahi before, when rescuing Turaga Vakama once. "Yeah, but there's something else…" He walked off to the side of the dune, slightly backtracking out of the way. The others followed him, rising over that crest as well. When they got there, none could keep from widening their eyes in surprise.

"By the Spirit!" exclaimed the Toa of Air. "What in Mata Nui's name is that?"

Before them, a herd of Mahi were stacked on top of each other to the point of resembling a humanoid shape. But when they looked closer, they could see there actually _was _someone inside the herd, stuck like that.

"Er…little help?" Pohatu Nuva's voice called. Tahu's group came closer to the Toa Nuva of Stone. His arms were stuck outstretched with the goats awkwardly stuck all over his body. "They're—sticking—"

Jala and Takua came over to two of the lower Mahi, and started pulling them away from the Stone Toa. They stuck fast, and the animals protested their already uncomfortable situation. Takua pulled harder and harder on the horns of the miserable animals, until finally it came free from the Toa. But even when he let go of it, its head was then stuck to his upper arm. He pulled a couple times, but the animal still wavered back and forth as he pulled. "Ah! Stuck!" he cried.

Tahu watched as Jala pulled two more Mahi off of Pohatu. They stuck to the Ta-Matoran, but the Stone Toa was then able to pull the others off of himself. They happily jumped and ran into the open space again. "Magnetized, but it fades," the Toa Nuva of Fire observed. He turned to Pohatu. "Let me guess—a Bohrok."

Pohatu nodded.

"Pohatu, we are on their trail," Lewa said. "Are you with us?"

"You know it!" Pohatu replied eagerly. No one seemed to notice a Mahi bounce by with a helpless Takua still attached by magnetic force. "It has been too long since we've had a good adventure, anyway!" Pohatu continued. "And I think we all really want our powers back."

Tahu looked around, then calmed as he saw Takua walk back up to the group. He decided he would leave his scolding about 'not wandering off' for later. Instead, he led the group in the direction of the tracks.

"Just—can you leave out the part with the goats?" Pohatu asked, from the rear of the group. "Please?"

X X X

Kopaka Nuva glided slowly down the slope, reminding himself to be careful. While he could still ski, he no longer had the ability to control the ice beneath his feet. That skill had deserted him along with the rest of them. _It's beginning to seem that Gali's earlier worries were well-founded, _he thought bleakly. _Our split seemed almost too easy this time. As if it were destined to happen_—_or as if someone or something wanted it to happen. _He still couldn't believe that his elemental powers had suddenly deserted him. It was only thanks to his determination—and the help of Turaga Nuju—that he had survived his sudden tumble off of the crumbling ice bridge.

As soon as he heard that the Ice Toa's powers were gone, the Turaga had suggested that Kopaka seek out the others. If it had happened to all of them…well, there was no telling what might become of Mata Nui.

Before long, Kopaka left the snow behind and climbed down to the Toa's usual meeting place. To his relief, Pohatu, Lewa, and Tahu Nuva were waiting for him in the clearing. Along with them were two Ta-Matoran: the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard, Jala, and the Chronicler, Takua. "I guess this means the icon thief has struck in Ko-Koro, too, ice brother," Pohatu said by way of greeting.

Kopaka nodded.

Pohatu waited for him to describe the events, but he didn't. "So what happened?" he prompted.

Kopaka looked at the Stone Toa for a short second before answering. "I was patrolling Ko-Wahi when I fell from an ice bridge. I managed to stop my fall, but was trapped until my elder arrived."

"So Turaga Nuju rescued you with his Mask of Telekinesis?" asked Pohatu.

"It does not matter _how _I escaped," Kopaka replied coldly, eager to get away from the subject, "only that I _did._ However, Nuju and I were together afterward. He believes our loss of power is related to the thefts of the Nuva Symbols."

"Whoever or whatever this foe may be, it will regret stealing our powers!" Tahu raged. "I will make sure of that!" He raised his magma sword in emphasis. Instead of its usual flickering flame, the sword merely smoked weakly.

"Anger will not help us," Kopaka pointed out. "We need to unite—to form a plan."

Tahu let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Has the thief stolen my hearing as well!?" he exclaimed. "I would swear I just heard Kopaka, the Toa of Doing His Own Thing, suggest that we unite!"

"Brothers, brothers," Pohatu pleaded. "Enough with the petty disagreements. "We have enough problems without that. Let's try to work together here, okay?"

"Good advice at any time." Onua Nuva's voice interrupted the tense moment. He strode into the clearing and glanced around. "But especially important now, I think. All of you—you've lost your elemental powers, too?"

Each Toa nodded. "I think it's safe to assume that Gali has been struck as well," Pohatu added. "Lewa was, we know."

"You're right about that," the Toa of Air said. "Found that out in a wrong-moment back in Le-Koro."

Onua nodded. "Then we need to decide what to do."

"I _know _what to do," Tahu spoke up at once. "Find the thief and take the symbols back. End of plan."

Kopaka sighed. Typical Tahu—all bluster with no thought. "That's no plan," he said icily. "That's suicide."

"Kopaka is right," Pohatu agreed. "Without our powers, and knowing not what we might be facing, it would be foolish to rush into action."

"Who are you calling foolish?" Tahu snapped, glaring from Pohatu to Kopaka and back again.

Onua raised his hand. "Easy, brother Tahu," he said. "Let's just think on this for a moment."

Lewa rolled his eyes behind his mask. "Yes, a moment," he quipped. "Or a day, or a month. With all due respect, brother Onua, if we spent as much time wait-thinking as you would like, we'd never get anything done at all."

Kopaka, Jala, and Takua all winced as Onua frowned. Lewa often spoke without thinking, but rarely did he purposely insult anyone. It was clear that the loss of powers was setting them all on edge. _Where is sister Gali? _Kopaka wondered. _She's usually the only one who can make peace at such a moment. _

As if responding to his thought, Gali raced into the clearing at that very moment. "Brothers!" she cried breathlessly. "Good, you're all here. I have news!"

"We know," Pohatu said. "Symbol stolen, powers gone, blah blah blah. Old news."

Gali shook her head. "Not that," she said. "I already heard from a messenger that the thief struck all of us. Or, rather, the _thieves._"

"There is more than one creature stealing our powers?" Onua asked.

Jala spoke up. "That's true," he commented. "When the thief struck Ta-Koro, Turaga Vakama learned from the Sacred Fire that there are several, each with different powers."

"Yes," Gali replied, leaning on her aqua axe for support as she caught her breath. "My village guards were as helpless as yours before the intruder—it disabled them by filling the Suva with a magnetic field that pinned them to the walls. But others saw what happened and followed—and tracked it to the edge of Po-Wahi, where they saw it join with two others like it."

"What are we waiting for?" Tahu hoisted his sword. "Let's get back to Po-Wahi!" That description seemed to match Pohatu's foe they were looking for earlier.

"Wait!" Onua cried. But Tahu had already charged off, with Lewa right behind him. Even Pohatu trotted after them eagerly.

"Reckless fools," Kopaka muttered.

Gali glanced at him. "I agree, some of our brothers could stand to do a little more thinking before they act," she said. "But this time, their course might be the best one. The longer we are without our powers, the greater the danger to Mata Nui. We have to confront these creatures and take back our icons."

"I suppose you are right, sister," Onua said, his voice deep with worry. "But how easy will it be to do so without our powers?"

Kopaka was wondering the same thing. But he followed without another word as Gali and Onua hurried after the others. Jala, a conditioned soldier, was able to keep up fairly well with Kopaka and Gali, despite having much shorter legs. But Takua wasn't used to the physical exertion; he ran next to Onua at the back of the group.

The Toa of Earth looked down at him and smiled. "Come on, Chronicler," he said, extending a hand to him. "You wanted to witness this." Takua took his hand and felt himself being hoisted effortlessly onto the Toa's shoulders. Then he held tight to Onua's large Pakari Nuva as the strong Toa barreled forward.

X X X

Soon the six Toa Nuva were moving as a group through the open, rocky pass between the northern section of Le-Wahi and the eastern slopes of Mount Ihu. "We should at least try to be prepared for what we will face when we find the thieves," Onua pointed out as he hurried along near the back of the group. "The least we can do is share what information we have. What did your Matoran see? What tools did the creatures use against them?"

Each Toa Nuva described everything he or she knew in turn. Takua reported that the creature in Ta-Koro had disabled the guards with a massive amount of electricity. The creature that had stolen Lewa's icon had disabled the guards with a wall of intense sound so loud that it had cracked the walls of the Suva. In Onua's village, the weapon of choice had been a vacuum power that had sucked all of the air out of the Suva. Pohatu had lost his symbol to a creature that had thrown off such intense heat that everything around it turned instantly to plasma. And Gali had already mentioned the magnetism used against her villagers.

When his turn came, Kopaka briefly described the way one of the creatures had affected gravity, making the Ko-Matoran guard's limbs and body too heavy to move. "It sounds like there may be six separate attackers, not three," he finished. "Six enemies, and six of us."

"Three or six, three dozen or six hundred, it matters not," Tahu said with a shrug. "We face them down no matter what." With that, he hurried forward to the end of the pass. Beyond lay the open, sweeping vista of the great northern desert.

For the first time in a while, Jala spoke up. Typically, Matoran tried not to speak out of turn around Toa. "Well, now what?"

"Come to think of it, I think you two ought to head back to Ta-Koro," suggested Pohatu.

"What?" asked Jala. "No, we stand by our Toa!"

Onua lowered Takua back down to the ground. "You accompanied Tahu because he needed others. Now that he has us, it would be wise for you to return to your home. Chronicler, you have been with us before, and we are forever grateful to your Company's efforts during the Battle for Kini-Nui. But this time…things are different. It won't be as easy to protect ourselves, and even less so you."

Before Takua could protest to support Jala, Gali knelt to speak with him. "It's not that we think less of you—we are simply trying to look out for you. Scribe this for now, and continue to do so as the story unfolds. If the Great Spirit wishes it, we will meet again."

Finally, Takua nodded. "Thank you."

Jala didn't like accepting it either, but if the Toa Nuva thought he and his friend were just going to be a liability, he had to respect that and return. "Good luck, Toa Nuva," he said. With that, the two Matoran doubled back to return to their home.

"Now which way-path do we take?" Lewa wondered, once they were gone.

Onua pointed. "I would say we go that way."

Kopaka followed the Earth Toa's glance and saw broad prints leading northward in the bare soil. The marks were large and deep.

"Come on!" Tahu said. "Are we going to stand around looking at these tracks, or are we going to follow them and take back what is ours?" Without waiting for an answer, he strode off in the direction the tracks led.

"Our enemies seem to be making no attempt to remain stealthy," Pohatu commented. "I wonder if we should be worried by that."

"They should be worried about _us_!" Tahu said boldly. He led the way over a rise. Beyond lay a large, rocky plain scattered with stones of all shapes and sizes.

"Does anyone see prints?" Gali asked.

Pohatu shook his head. "It will be pointless trying to find them here," he said. "This sort of ground is not friendly to ordinary tracking."

"Maybe we should go back," Onua said. "We could seek out the rest of the Kanohi Nuva—with those additional powers, it may be easier to find the thieves."

"We've got to continue on." Tahu seemed unwilling to accept reality. "If we search Po-Wahi, we have to catch up to them."

"Or maybe not, if they've path-changed to the tunnels of Onu-Wahi or anywhere else," Lewa shrugged. "Besides, what do we do if we find them?"

Kopaka grimaced. Where had that question been when they were all back at the meeting place?

"It's not 'if'," Tahu affirmed, breaking into Kopaka's thoughts. "We _will_ find them, and we _will_ get our powers back."

Pohatu was still staring across the rocky plain. Now he raised his hand and pointed. "Uh, Tahu…?" he said. "I think those up ahead might have something to say about it."


	4. Chapter 4

_Wall of History, Record 12—Out of their Elements_

**TOA NUVA SEARCH FOR SYMBOL THIEVES**

_The theft of Tahu Nuva's symbol was just the start. Each village of Mata Nui has been the victim of a similar raid, with each Toa left diminished in its wake. Kopaka Nuva was nearly lost down a chasm, Tahu Nuva found himself buried beneath a hail of stones, and Gali Nuva was swept away by a giant wave that she had called forth only a moment before. Lewa, Onua and Pohatu too have suffered indignities thanks to the work of the mysterious thieves._

_"__I fell right out of the sky!" said an embittered Lewa Nuva. "Me, of all beings! I nearly ended up neck-deep in that reeking swamp on the ground down-below. Stupid bugs."_

_"__It wasn't fun," was Pohatu Nuva's only comment. He is usually the most amiable of the Toa. "Frankly, I'd rather not talk about it any more."_

_As they set out to meet one another, some of the Toa were more introspective. "Our powers were increased greatly in the nest of the Bahrag," Onua Nuva mused, "but they were also shackled to these symbols by some means. Now with the theft of the one, we have lost the other. It is a discomforting thing to ponder."_

_"__Thankfully, although they have lost some of their vibrancy, our masks still serve us," Gali Nuva reported. "The Turaga believe that the event that transformed us and created our symbols may also have brought forth new Kanohi from Mata Nui. As we follow the creatures that have stolen our powers, we will seek these 'Kanohi Nuva' and hope that they grant us the strength to protect our villages once more."_

_-Takua, The Chronicler-_

X X X

Pohatu stared as the six creatures he had spotted came closer. Their bodies were sinewy and powerful-looking, covered in gleaming metallic armor of various shades—red, blue, silver, bronze, green, and black.

"What _are_ those things?" Onua murmured.

"They're sort of like Bohrok," Pohatu said. "Only meaner." Their small shields were silver, along with their headplates. A depiction of their individually shaped shields was visible on each metallic surface of the headplate, rather than the translucent covering of a Bohrok's headplate that would typically show its Krana.

Gali grimaced. "Let's just hope there aren't swarms of them somewhere," she commented. "These six look to be enough to deal with."

"And deal with them we will," Tahu said grimly, tightening his grip on his magma swords.

By then the creatures had nearly reached the Toa Nuva. One of them, the one with the reddish-colored armor and silver details, stepped forward. "We are the Bohrok-Kal," it announced in a hard smooth voice. "We search for Cahdok and Gahdok, Queens of the Swarms."

Pohatu's eyes widened in surprise. The Queens? So he had been right—these must be a strange sort of Bohrok. The original swarms had been controlled by the queens. But these creatures seemed to function all on their own.

The brown-and-silver one stepped forward. "Tell us where you have hidden the Bohrok Queens—the Bahrag—and then step aside. We have no wish to harm helpless foes."

That comment angered Lewa. "'Helpless'?" he exclaimed, leaping forward with his twin air katana. "Toa Nuva are never helpless! We will run-stomp you into the ground!"

The bluish Bohrok-Kal raised its sleek metal shields. "No amount of speed can save you from my magnetic force," it said coldly as a wave of power rippled out from the shield's surface at the Toa of Air.

Lewa's feet immediately rushed to the ground from his jump, bringing the rest of him with them. There, they stood planted and unmoving. He was stopped in place so quickly that he nearly toppled over. "My feet!" Lewa cried. "Magnetized to the ground! I…I can't move!" His legs jerked back and forth as he tried in vain to budge them.

Onua casually grabbed an enormous boulder many times his own size and lifted it above his head. Even without his elemental powers, his strength remained awesome on its own. But in addition to his strong build, he also now wore the Kanohi Pakari Nuva, which gave him what felt like unlimited physical strength. He called to the Bohrok-Kal, "The Toa Nuva do not seek conflict, but if we must battle, I shall end it quickly!"

Before he could throw the boulder, the brown Bohrok-Kal lifted its shield and sent a wave of concentrated power toward Onua's intended projectile. "Your rock is no threat, Toa Nuva," the creature said as the boulder dissolved into magma. "And neither are you."

Onua felt the rock growing intensely hot, dare he say hotter than Tahu's fires. "No!" he cried, as it became to much to bear. He awkwardly threw the remaining half-liquid rock away and rushed as the rest of the molten material fell where he had been.

"Give us Cahdok and Gahdok—now!" the brown-and-silver foe threatened.

Tahu leaped toward Gali, Pohatu, and Kopaka. His mask was glowing brightly. "The Mask of Shielding will protect us for now," Tahu said as his mask's force field surrounded him. Thanks to its transformation into a Kanohi Nuva, his Hau's power now stretched out to nearby allies, granting him and the other three remaining Toa physical protection. "Bohrok-Kal, your quest must fail—the creatures you seek have vanished from Mata Nui."

"You _lie_!" the black Bohrok-Kal hissed. "They are here and we will find them! Your shield cannot stand before the crushing power of gravity, Tahu Nuva." A second later Tahu hit the ground hard. He grunted as he hit the unforgiving stone ground of Po-Wahi mask-first. Gali gasped as she saw him struggling to lift his swords. His weight, multiplied a hundredfold by the Bohrok-Kal's gravity power, crushed the stones beneath it as he sank into the ground.

"Tahu!" Gali cried, horrified to see the bold and powerful Fire Toa made so helpless.

"The shield is down," Kopaka said grimly. "Defend yourselves, Toa Nuva!"

"There can be no defense against Tahnok-Kal's electricity…" the reddish Bohrok-Kal said.

"Or Kohrak-Kal's sonic power…" the silvery one hissed.

"Or Lehvak-Kal's vacuum blast…" the greenish creature added.

Gali gulped. A second later, she felt herself flung backward by a blast of combined energy so strong that she could hardly tell where one force ended and the next began. All the assembled Toa Nuva reeled as waves of lightning, blasts of sonics, and jerking winds struck them, right before darkness overtook them. Air, electricity, sound—all surrounded and overwhelmed Gali, filling her mind and body so that, for a long moment, they seemed to cease to exist.

X X X

Tahu opened his eyes and sat up, unsure of how much time had passed. There was no sign of the Bohrok-Kal anywhere. Beside him, Lewa began to stir. "Ugh," he moaned blearily. "Ohhhhhhhh… What happened?"

"I believe we have just been given a warning by the Bohrok-Kal," Onua said heavily, pushing himself upright onto his hands and knees. "They obviously do not want us interfering with their search."

Tahu scowled. "No?" he cried, rising painfully to his feet. "Well, the Bohrok-Kal will _pay _for daring to challenge the Toa Nuva." He pulled out his powerless swords. "We shall—"

"Tahu!" Gali cut him off. By this time all six Toa were awake, sitting up and testing their limbs for injury. "This is no time to worry about our pride. Didn't you hear them? If they find Cahdok and Gahdok and free them, the Bohrok swarms will strike again!"

"But how do we stop them?" Pohatu sounded worried. "Our elemental powers are gone…and we don't even know where the Bahrag are ourselves."

"They stole the Nuva Symbols from the Koro, and our powers with them," Onua gently reminded the others.

Tahu noticed that Lewa's eyes were clouded and his expression slightly pained. "What is it, brother?" he asked with concern. "Are you hurt?"

Lewa shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said. "It's just…." His voice trailed off hesitantly.

"What?" Tahu asked sharply, not liking the look in Lewa's eyes. It reminded him of the way the Air Toa had looked after being taken over by the Bohrok swarms. "Tell us what's wrong." It was an order, not a suggestion.

"Fine, fine," Lewa said. "Don't get your swords in a muddle-twist. I—I could be dream-thinking it from the blow…but I thought I heard something. From the Bohrok-Kal."

"Heard something?" Gali repeated with interest. "What do you mean?"

Lewa shrugged. "Communication. Thought-talk," he said. "Like that of the Krana."

Pohatu blinked in surprise. "Are you saying there are Krana inside these Bohrok-Kal, controlling them, just as there were in the Bohrok?"

"That would make sense," Kopaka pointed out. "These Bohrok-Kal seem to be related to the Bohrok somehow. They share the same goal."

"Not exactly," Gali said. "After all, Bohrok-Kal don't seem interested in damaging anything. They left the villages untouched."

"They're trying to scare-frighten us," Lewa said. "To make us run away so we won't try to stop them."

Kopaka scowled. "No one makes me run," he affirmed coldly. "_No_ one."

For once, Tahu agreed with the Ice Toa. "Enough talk," he said, shaking his head and stepping forward into the group. "Gali, you, Pohatu, and Onua go back to the Bohrok nest—see if you can discover what happened to Cahdok and Gahdok. Kopaka, Lewa, and I will keep after the Bohrok-Kal—see if we can slow them down."

Lewa folded his arms and looked off to the side, muttering, "Great. _I _get the team with personality…"

"Quiet," Kopaka snapped at him.

"I suggest we all keep our eyes out for Kanohi Nuva masks," Onua said as he joined Gali and Pohatu. "With our elemental powers gone, we will need all the help we can get."

"The Bohrok-Kal are so powerful…and they have weakened us," Gali murmured. "How can we hope to win?"

"We'll find a way, sister-Gali," Lewa said, coming close. "We are the heroes of Mata Nui, aren't we? That's what heroes do."

Tahu nodded, waving one of his swords. "Yes. With elemental powers or without…together or apart…we are still the Toa Nuva. And the Bohrok-Kal are about to learn just what that means!"

X X X

_Wall__of History, Record 13—Desert Showdown_

**DISASTER IN THE SANDS FOR THE TOA NUVA**

_The Toa had tracked the thieves of their symbols all across Mata Nui, returning at last to the sandy expanse of Po-Wahi. Deep in the desert, they finally caught up with the mysterious Bohrok-Kal._

_The creatures' eyes glowed with a cunning intelligence. Their gleaming shells bore reptilian patterns surrounding strange symbols. They raised their shields and, incredibly, they spoke!_

_Announcing themselves as the Bohrok-Kal, they said that they searched for the Bahrag, Cahdok and Gahdok, the queens of the swarms. They demanded the Toa lead them to the queens' location, because they did not have any wish to "harm helpless foes." _

_Angered by their tone, Lewa Nuva leaped into action, but the impulsive Toa of Air found himself pinned in place by the magnetic force of Gahlok-Kal. Onua Nuva tried to end the battle with a single blow, but Pahrak-Kal's plasma held him at bay. As Tahu Nuva attempted to protect his fellow Toa with the Mask of Shielding, Nuhvok-Kal's mastery of gravity sent him crashing to the ground. Then the Bohrok-Kal turned the full force of their powers on the heroes of Mata Nui._

_When the Toa Nuva awakened, the creatures were gone._

_"__This was one of those look-before-you-leap things, wasn't it?" said Lewa Nuva. "I guess I'm still mad about falling. Stupid bugs…"_

_Kopaka Nuva's mood was predictably cold. "If they free the Bahrag, the swarms will return to their mission. We cannot allow this to happen."_

_"__The Bohrok-Kal faced us together, while we stood apart," said Gali Nuva sadly. "This is what I feared when we went our separate ways. As powerful as we became, it is in our unity that our true strength lies."_

_Now the quest of the Toa Nuva has become even more desperate. They must find the Bahrag, defeat the Bohrok-Kal and end the threat of the swarms for good—all without the aid of their elemental powers!_

_-Takua, The Chronicler-_

X X X

Onua was troubled as he followed Gali and Pohatu, heading for the entrance to the Bahrag's nest. _How are we supposed to do it? _he thought uneasily. _How are we supposed to fulfill our destiny to protect Mata Nui when our greatest powers have been taken from us? _

Gali glanced over her shoulder at him. "This is a momentous challenge that we face, brother," she commented. "Perhaps the greatest test yet of our resolve."

Shading his eyes against the glare of the sun, Onua smiled at her. He had often noticed that the Toa of Water could all but read others' thoughts at times. "Yes," he agreed. "It will not be easy. But we cannot falter—all of Mata Nui depends on us."

"The weakness this time may lie in the Krana-Kal," Gali pointed out. "They could be controlling the Bohrok-Kal just as the Krana controlled the regular swarms."

Onua nodded. "I was thinking about that, too," he said. "I hope brother Lewa is right about hearing Krana voices. It could be our only hope."

"I suppose so," Pohatu said. "If we can figure out a way to separate the Krana-Kal from the Bohrok-Kal, we just might—"

"Hush," Onua broke in, picking up a sound from somewhere up ahead. A second later, something large and fast-moving crashed into sight from around the bend in the riverbed. It was the reddish-colored Bohrok-Kal, the one known as the Tahnok-Kal.

"Stand aside, Toa Nuva," it hissed loudly as it came. "You are in my way."

"We will not," Pohatu said boldly. "If you want to go this way, you'll have to go through us." Onua stepped up beside him, as did Gali. The Tahnok-Kal didn't slow its pace. It merely raised its shield, sending several lightning bolts shooting out of it.

"Look out!" Gali shouted, but it was too late. The bolts hit the ground beneath Onua, flinging him into the air, where he tumbled over and over before landing with a heavy thud on the back of the dry river.

"Oof!" Pohatu grunted as he landed beside him a second later. Nearby, Gali dropped heavily onto the hard-packed ground as well.

Onua blinked, trying to clear his mind. Pushing himself upright, he looked down into the riverbed just in time to see the Tahnok-Kal hurrying on without a backward glance. The Toa of Earth squinted, willing his sun-weakened eyes to focus. "Look," he croaked, pointing. "Is that…?"

The other two followed his gaze. Gali gasped. "A Krana-Kal!" she said. "The creature carries it beneath its face shield. So Lewa _was_ right!"

Pohatu stared after the Tahnok-Kal as it disappeared around a bend. "That thing," he said, sounding shaken. "It didn't even slow down! It just knocked us aside and kept going."

Gali climbed to her feet. "Come on, brothers," she said wearily. "The only good news is that the Tahnok-Kal was heading _away _from the tunnel entrance. We'd better take advantage and get there before it does."

Soon the three of them were hurrying up a rocky slope. At the top, Onua knew they would find the entrance, buried under a giant pile of rocks. After their battle with the Bohrok queens, an avalanche had completely covered the opening. Pohatu was already moving forward toward the pile of rocks. He drew back one foot and kicked at a large boulder. "Ow!" he shouted as his foot connected with the solid stone. The boulder didn't budge; even his Nuva feet additions had lost their power.

"Pohatu, don't," Gali said gently. "Without your powers, you'll only wear yourself out."

Onua sighed. "We're going to have to find a different way," he said.

Gali stared at the covered cave entrance. "I'm starting to think that seeking out the Bahrag ourselves is a waste of time," she said. "It's unlikely we would be able to stop the Bohrok-Kal from getting to them anyway. I think we should focus instead on finding a way to get those Krana-Kal. Without them, the Bohrok-Kal will most likely be left directionless—and harmless."

"I agree," Onua said. "We need to get those Krana-Kal—any way we can."

X X X

"Easy, easy," Lewa Nuva murmured under his breath. "Don't look up-tree, my metallic friend. Nothing to see up here…" He carefully swung across a clearing on a vine, his gaze trained on the Kohrok-Kal, which was marching along the ground below. The creature seemed unaware of the Toa Nuva's presence. He hadn't kept track of how much time had passed since that first meeting with the Bohrok-Kal, but it seemed like forever. The Toa had split up, trying to get the Krana-Kal. But every encounter had ended the same way—with the Toa Nuva groaning on the ground while the Bohrok-Kal continued their quest without so much as a pause.

_At least we found a few-number of Kanohi Nuva masks along the way, _Lewa thought, trying to look on the bright side. _So we each have some of our mask powers back now. _Below, the Kohrok-Kal moved on. _Just a few farther-steps, _Lewa thought, willing himself to be patient. _It's almost time. _He grasped a strong vine hanging nearby, glancing up to make sure that it was firmly entwined around a higher branch.

When the creature was near the middle of the clearing, Lewa nodded. It was time. He bent his knees and pushed off, springing gracefully off the tree branch. Holding the vine tightly with one hand, he held the other outstretched at the ready. The vine swung him down, down, down—as the vine's arc reached the clearing, he was skimming just above the swampy ground. _Perfect! _he thought eagerly, aiming straight toward the Kohrok-Kal. The creature's broad back was to him, and Lewa could clearly see the softly glowing white Krana-Kal set into the center of it. He was almost close enough to grab it…

A burst of noise exploded out of the Kohrok-Kal just as Lewa reached it, knocking him to the ground as solidly as any physical strike might do. Lewa was momentarily stunned by the blow, but quickly leaped to his feet. The Kohrok-Kal hardly spared him a glance as it continued easily on its way, but it did gesture briefly in his direction with its shield. A split second later, a high wall of solid sound sprang up between it and the Toa Nuva—vibrating and whining, sending leaves scattering away and causing tree trunks at the edge of the clearing to bend and crack.

"You won't away-block the Toa of Air so easily," Lewa muttered, though his words were lost in the cacophony. Taking a deep breath, he called upon the power of the Mask of Levitation. He floated upward, easily reaching the top of the wall. As soon as he did, the sonic waves shifted slightly, moving out and around him and blocking his rise. The wall of sound surrounded him, pummeling him with its intensity, so loud that it seemed it would crack the earth and sky themselves.

Lewa dropped back to the ground, hardly noticing the fall. Much worse was the force of the sound assaulting his ears—staggering, inconceivable sound. How could any creature hold such terrible power? Lewa couldn't think, couldn't move—could do nothing but try to survive the assault. It was unbearable—like nothing he had ever experienced, like nothing he could ever have imagined. It bent his mind until it could think no more, bent his body until it could stand against it no more.

X X X

If one were to live on Mata Nui long enough, one was sure to learn which sights were common and which were not. Now, there was a sight that would make most inhabitants believe their eyes were deceiving them when they were not: Tahu Nuva, Toa of Fire, leading a swarm of Bohrok.

"Forward Tahnok, and the day will be ours!" Tahu shouted to the 100+ fire Bohrok scrambling behind him, the Krana-less machines now following the orders of the Toa.

Possible explanations might include an alternate timeline, a vision, a dream, or an imaginary tale told around Matoran fires. But none of those were true this day; this was explained by something much simpler—something was very, very wrong on the island of Mata Nui. What could have possibly forced a Toa Nuva into an alliance with a Bohrok swarm? There are six answers, and one of those answers is the object they were running at: Nuhvok-Kal.

The black-and-silver Bohrok-Kal turned to face the onrushing horde of those like it. Never once did it consider running, turning away, or backing down. "You lead the Tahnok against me, Tahu? You are bits of straw challenging a whirlwind…" The Nuhvok-Kal raised its gravity shield and triggered its power on the Tahnok. "A little less gravity, and the swarm 'flies' away. They will be safe—in orbit—until I need them."

"No!" Tahu cried in defeat as the fire Bohrok helplessly floated into the air, and continued to float upward, until lost in the blue sky. He turned back to Nuhvok-Kal, who was now utilizing its power on him.

"A little _more_ gravity, and you will be too heavy to interfere," it said, once again making Tahu tens of times heavier. "We will find the Bahrag Queens you imprisoned, Tahu. Defy us at your peril."

"Unnngh!" Tahu strained against the power. He felt it affecting precise positions on his body, bringing his arms lower to his sides and his knees crashing into the ground, before sinking even lower. If this went on much longer, his entire form would be buried in the hard stone of Po-Wahi.

Thankfully, Nuhvok-Kal was content to only humiliate him again. It stalked off on its trail, leaving behind a useless Toa of Fire. When it was out of range or no longer concentrating, its power would wear off. But even when it did, Tahu would find himself too fatigued to dare pursue.

X X X

"Kopaka!" Gali's voice was urgent. "Come here—quick!" Kopaka abandoned the Bohrok-Kal footprint he was examining and hurried forward to join Gali, who had moved several bios ahead through the jungle.

"The soundshape…the soundshape…" Lewa was muttering, his gaze blank and his limbs curled into a fetal position.

"Lewa!" Kopaka said sharply. "Brother Lewa, do you hear me?"

"He's in shock," Gali said, kneeling beside the Toa of Air. "Give him a moment."

Kopaka nodded, watching as Lewa writhed on the ground. Mud and swampy water covered him, making it clear that he'd been there quite a while. What could have happened to him? _The Bohrok-Kal, of course, _Kopaka told himself grimly. _Our foolish airheaded brother must have decided to take one on by himself. Hasn't he learned his lesson by now? _Kopaka noticed that the Toa of Air was pressing his hands to his ears. "Look at that," he told Gali. "He must have tangled with the sonic shield of the Kohrok-Kal."

"Yes," Gali agreed with a shudder. "That one is worse than all the others combined, if you ask me." She reached down and gently tried to pry one of Lewa's hands loose. He struggled briefly against her, then finally relaxed. Slowly, his sightless eyes began to focus.

Finally he groaned and sat up. "Ice brother, water sister," he croaked weakly. "The sound—it's really gone?"

"Whatever happened, it's over," Gali assured him. "You're safe now."

Kopaka stretched out his hand to help Lewa to his feet. "What happened, brother?" he asked.

Lewa winced. "Please, Kopaka," he said. "Keep your voice quiet-low. My ears are still ringing from the boxing the Kohrok-Kal gave them."

"So it was the Kohrok-Kal," Kopaka said, carefully keeping his voice to little more than a whisper. "Why did it come after you?"

"It didn't, exactly," Lewa admitted, his own voice gaining strength with each passing moment. "It was defending its Krana-Kal—I had hoped to vine-swing down and grab it from above. I thought I was track-following it undetected, but I guess it knew I was there after all."

"That was a risky plan, brother," Gali chided him gently.

Kopaka grimaced, his own opinion of Lewa's plan formed of harsher words. But he shrugged them off. In a subtle act of kindness, he decided Lewa had learned his lesson the hard way. "What do we do now?" he asked instead. "The more we see of this enemy, the stronger it seems."

"Ever-true, brother," Lewa agreed. "If those swarm-queens are still down there in the dark-tunnels somewhere, it's only a matter of time until the Bohrok-Kal track-find them."

Kopaka glanced at him, surprised at the normally cheerful Toa Nuva's pessimistic words. "We can't give up," he reminded him. "No matter what, we have to do all we can to protect Mata Nui. It is our duty."

"I know that ever-well, cold-brother," Lewa retorted. "But how does it help-save Mata Nui to let ourselves be crushed by the Bohrok-Kal? We have tried many-plans, yet nothing can stop them."

Gali cleared her throat. "Wait, brothers," she said quietly. "There is one thing we haven't tried yet…."


	5. Chapter 5

"This time I won't stop until I have your Krana-Kal, monster!" Tahu shouted as he landed atop a ridge just three bios from the Pahrak-Kal.

The Turaga had sent the Toa information on the Krana-Kal, just as they had done with the original Krana. There were still eight breeds, though each one gave the Bohrok-Kal using it a different power. The Krana Bo-Kal made a Bohrok-Kal more visionary, offering night vision and allowing the carrier to see through all substances on the island. The Krana Ja-Kal made the user an excellent tracker by bestowing radar senses and enhancing local senses, particularly hearing and smell. Krana Ca-Kal was more of a concern—it made the Bohrok-Kal more of a seeker, because using it could sense the presence of the Bahrag and was linked with their minds. Krana Za-Kal made its user an overseer of others by allowing it to communicate telepathically with other Krana-Kal, reading minds, and sensing strong emotions.

In more physical applications, the Krana Su-Kal made its user a demolisher, offering extreme strength and resistance to heat and cold. Krana Yo-Kal could sense stress points in the earth, as well as underground movement, making a Bohrok-Kal an excavator. Krana Vu-Kal enhanced speed through air and on land, lending itself to a transporter Bohrok-Kal. Finally, the most important and threatening of all was the Krana Xa-Kal. It belonged to a liberator Bohrok-Kal, allowing the user to awaken the Bahrag Queens upon physical contact. Powerless, now at least the Toa had more information on what they would be going up against.

Pahrak-Kal paused and glanced back toward Tahu. Then it turned away, its bronze-shaded Krana-Kal seeming to mock him. "Don't turn your back on me Pahrak-Kal!" Tahu howled, raising his magma swords and charging after the creature. "I've come for a fight, and a fight I will have!"

The creature merely raised its shield, deflecting Tahu's blows easily. Then it pointed the shield toward the ground. Seconds later, the hardened and cooled igneous rock had melted into a boiling puddle of fresh lava.

Tahu felt himself sinking into the newly created lava puddle. To his surprise again, he could feel the burning sensation of the boiling lava on his feet and legs. He leaped backward, landing on the solid ground behind him. Smoke rose from his feet. _Uh-oh, _he thought in horror. _I forgot that my ability to withstand intense heat had deserted me along with my other elemental powers. _

"Are you through with me yet, oh, great Toa?" the Pahrak-Kal taunted.

The creature's scornful tone only fanned the flames of Tahu's anger. "Believe me, when I'm through with you, you won't have to ask."

This time the Pahrak-Kal took a step toward him as it raised its shield. The wave of heat that rippled out from the shield surrounded Tahu, filling his body with searing fire. Tahu realized all he had to do was fall back and the heat would stop. All he had to do was retreat…but he couldn't—that would mean letting the Pahrak-Kal win. Giving up. _So this monster wants to fight me with my own element? _he thought as the fire filled his body, seeming to burn him up from the inside out. _Fine, then let it do its worst. Better to burn out than to give up…._

"Toa Tahu!" a voice shouted from somewhere nearby. Distracted, the Pahrak-Kal turned, at the same time shifting the aim of its shield. Tahu slumped to the ground, gasping at the sudden disappearance of the pain. As he collapsed, he glanced up and saw Jala, the head of the Ta-Koro Guard. Several other Ta-Matoran stood behind him.

The Pahrak-Kal watched the newcomers approach. "Is this your rescue party, Toa?" it hissed with amusement. "They're a little on the puny side."

"Leave us alone, creature!" Jala shouted boldly.

The Pahrak-Kal gazed at the Matoran. "I have no quarrel with any of you, weak ones," it said. "Your hot-headed Toa is the one who wished to test my powers." With that it turned and moved on along the ridge.

Tahu pushed himself to a sitting position as Jala kneeled beside him. "Are you alright, Toa Tahu?" the Matoran asked with concern.

Tahu pushed aside his helping hand. "I'm fine," he said brusquely, climbing to his feet. "And I'll be even better once I take care of that thing."

"Toa!" Jala cried, grabbing his arm. "Please, stop! You'll get yourself hurt!"

"Better that than living as a coward," Tahu snapped, shaking off the Matoran's grip.

"You have no right!" Jala shouted, anger in his voice.

Tahu stopped short, blinking in surprise. Slowly, he turned to face the Matoran. Jala's eyes behind their mask were defiant. "What did you say to me?" Tahu asked, holding down his rage with difficulty.

Jala took a deep breath. "I said, you have no right," he repeated. "You have no right to sacrifice yourself. You have a duty to us—to Mata Nui. Your destiny doesn't allow room for personal pride."

Tahu couldn't help being impressed by the Matoran's courage in speaking out so boldly. _Of course, it seems like just about everyone is taking things into their own hands lately, _he thought with a flash of annoyance. He had been unpleasantly surprised when he'd first heard that Onua had decided to change plans without consulting him. For a moment he had started to insist on doing things his way—just to make sure that everyone knew who was in charge. But Gali and Pohatu had convinced him that the Earth Toa's decision was right. Was Jala right in his defiance, too?

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the Pahrak-Kal had paused again and seemed to be listening. It took a step back toward them. "Listen to your little friend, Toa," it hissed with a chuckle. "He's only trying to save you from being humbled by the strength of the Bohrok-Kal. Again."

Tahu gritted his teeth. "Mark my words, Pahrak-Kal," he said slowly, calling upon every ounce of strength he had to control the flames of his temper. "You will not succeed in your mission. For it is the sworn duty of the Toa Nuva to stop you. And stop you we will."

The Pahrak-Kal laughed, the sound tinny and scornful. "Is that so, feeble hero?" it said. "Once we find and release the queens, you will—_aaaagh_!" Its words broke off in a strangled cry. To his surprise, Tahu saw that Jala had just leaped forward and wrenched the Krana-Kal free! The Pahrak-Kal's limbs twitched, it let out several moans, and then fell still.

"Good job, brave Jala!" Tahu cried with delight. "Now that we've conquered one of them, the others will—"

"Toa Tahu—look!" Another Matoran broke in, pointing to the far end of the ridge.

A Gahlok Va was scuttling toward them. "What's it doing?" Tahu wondered aloud. He didn't have to wait long for the answer. As the small scout creature came closer, he saw that it was clutching something in its clawed hand.

"Is it—is it bringing the creature another Krana-Kal?" Jala asked in surprised dismay.

Tahu nodded grimly. "Looks that way."

"Everybody run!" one of the Matoran cried out.

_So much for our alliance with the Bohrok and Bohrok Va, _Tahu thought hopelessly as he and the Matoran scattered at top speed. _It seems the Bohrok-Kal are exerting some kind of influence over them. It seems we may have made a mistake in trusting the swarms inside our villages…. _

For a moment, he thought of the Kanohi Vahi. Was this the desperate emergency Vakama had spoken of? Was it time to call upon the dreadful powers of the Legendary Mask of Time? He shook his head, feeling helpless and angry as he ran. He could barely control his own temper. Why had Vakama asked him to control such an awesome power?

X X X

On the other side of the island, in the jungle near Le-Koro, Gali was primed for battle. "Ready?" she asked.

Kopaka nodded. "Ready."

"Me, too," Lewa added. "Let's do this."

Gali closed her eyes, gathering and focusing her energy. She concentrated on the other two Toa Nuva, allowing her own mind to flow and merge with theirs….

A moment later, the Toa Nuva Kaita known as Wairuha Nuva opened his eyes. Created from the mental and physical uniting of the three Toa Nuva, he combined their powers into one form. The Toa had previously combined to form the Toa Kaita when battling the giant Manas crabs that guarded one of Makuta's lairs shortly after their arrival. Now, their Nuva forms created an even stronger Kaita combination.

"It is time to put an end to this threat," he rumbled, moving toward the Lehvak-Kal that was searching a boggy area nearby. "Bohrok-Kal!" he called. "Turn and face your nemesis!"

The Lehvak-Kal stopped what it was doing. "So this is how it will be, Kaita? Then so be it." As Wairuha Nuva moved toward it, the creature let out a series of shrill calls. Seconds later, two more Bohrok-Kal appeared—Kohrok-Kal and Gahlok-Kal.

Gahlok-Kal stood with its back to the formidable combination. "Analysis: Toa Nuva Kaita, the combined force of three Toa Nuva," it assessed to the other two Bohrok-Kal. "Potential risk factor: nine. Response recommended."

Wairuha Nuva gathered his powers. To his surprise, the creatures ignored him and turned instead toward one another. "Your sheer power is impressive, Toa Nuva," Kohrok-Kal said. "But then…" There was a blast of energy—and all of a sudden a single, larger creature stood where three had been a second before. Wairuha gasped. The Bohrok-Kal had merged into their own Kaita being!

"…so is ours!" it finished.

The creature attacked, flinging a solid mass of flickering sound toward him. Wairuha Nuva ducked, but it was too late. The orb caught him and trapped him within an air-pocketed, magnetized vortex of sound. Every part of his body was pulled toward every other part by the intense magnetic field, while his mouth gasped for air and his mind shrieked against the pummeling scream of sound. _No,_ Wairuha Nuva thought, struggling to retain consciousness. _Must_—_fight_—_against…_

"Oof!" Kopaka grunted as he hit the ground a second later, flung out of the unity by the force of the attack.

Nearby, the Bohrok-Kal Kaita dissolved its own merging, returning to three separate forms. "That was almost…fun," the Lehvak-Kal said with a metallic laugh.

"Yes," the Kohrok-Kal responded. "But we must not think of that. We have to find and release the Bahrag."

The creatures turned away from one another and, without further discussion, scuttled off in different directions. Kopaka watched them go as the strength slowly seeped back into his body. Finally he was able to lift his arms, testing them for injury once again. "That was _not_ fun," he said succinctly.

"Not even a little," Lewa agreed, his voice heavy. "If even the Toa Nuva Kaita can't stand against these creatures, what hope is there?"

Kopaka had to agree with him. No matter how he looked at it, there seemed to be no solution. The Toa Nuva could not stop the Bohrok-Kal—they couldn't even slow them down. _Is this the end? _he wondered hopelessly. _Is it our destiny to fall before this unstoppable enemy_—_to fail in our duty to protect Mata Nui? _He glanced over at Gali, expecting her to protest against the Air Toa's pessimistic words.

But Gali merely shook her head, her expression downcast. "I fear that at this point, all we can hope is that the creatures' search will turn out to be fruitless," she commented wearily. "That Cahdok and Gahdok really are gone for good as we hoped."

Kopaka nodded along with Lewa. But he had his doubts.

X X X

In the depths of the earth far below, the waiting dark figure laughed, for he had sensed the Toa's words. "Giving up so soon, mighty heroes?" he cried with delight, though he knew the Toa could not hear him. "The endless tales and legends of the Turaga surely did not foresee this, did they? But I am not surprised. The Toa may be hailed as heroes, but they are as flawed as any Matoran. Flawed and weak and frightened before this more powerful enemy. And so their story seems to be reaching its end—at last."

The figure glanced over at an enormous mask that stared sightlessly from the cavern wall nearby. He nodded thoughtfully as he gazed at it, his red eyes glowing more brightly than ever. "Fear not, brother," he said. "As long as I am here, nothing will ever disturb you…."

X X X

On the beach of Ga-Wahi, Pohatu and Onua stalked the Tahnok-Kal, staying out of sight by staying to the beach trees not far from the waters. "There's the Tahnok-Kal," Onua said. "Do you remember the plan?"

"I made up the plan," Pohatu replied.

"That's not what I asked," Onua said, smiling. After another quiet second, he went on, "Do you have the stone?"

Pohatu held up a perfectly spherical globe, carefully covered so its mirror-like surface wouldn't give away their position. "Polished so bright you could see your face in it…if that were worth seeing." Though he had tried to say that with a straight face, he couldn't help but crack a grin.

Onua nodded. "Then I am going," he said, starting out of cover.

Pohatu stopped him momentarily, his grin gone. "Hey, Onua—be careful, alright?"

The Toa of Earth nodded again. "Of course I will. You just kick one straight for a change my friend." That brought back Pohatu's smirk, allowing Onua to move into sight of the Tahnok-Kal. "Tahnok-Kal!" he bellowed in his rumbling voice. "You of the lightning bolts…I have seen little Hoto bugs more frightening than you!"

Tahnok-Kal's eyes dimmed their light, as if narrowing in annoyance. "Go away, Toa of Earth. I have no wish to defeat you…_again_."

"Again?" Onua asked, sounding surprised. "You did not defeat the Toa Nuva—we simply found your company so boring, we chose to take a nap."

The Tahnok-Kal visibly shook in anger. "Then perhaps I should return you to your slumber, Toa!" With that, it shot blue and white lightning at the Toa Nuva of Earth.

Off to the side, Pohatu egged himself on. _Now! _he thought, using his mighty silver feet additions to kick the polished globe to the proper intersection point. During its flight, Onua stood patiently unmoving, watching the desired effect unfold in but a second. The globe encountered the lightning of the Tahnok-Kal, reflecting it back in the Bohrok-Kal's direction.

"What!?" it cried in surprise, as the lightning struck the tree behind it. The tree bent from the bolt and collapsed on Tahnok-Kal with a loud crash, knocking the headplate open.

Onua and Pohatu high-fived over that one. "Well done, my brother!" Pohatu exclaimed.

"That will not hold it for long," Onua said, looking over at the impact. "Let's retrieve its Krana-Kal."

Removing the Krana-Kal from the fallen Bohrok-Kal was an easy task, but its words sent a chill through the Toa Nuva. "You are too late!" it said, in Pohatu's grasp. "Already, the Bohrok-Kal have learned where the Bahrag are hidden. They will free Cahdok and Gahdok—and the swarms will live again!"

Pohatu brought the thing closer to his now-grey mask. "Cahdok and Gahdok disappeared…and then an earthquake brought the nest down. They are gone for good, creature!"

"No, Toa," the Krana-Kal reiterated, unnervingly calm. "They are waiting beneath the ground…waiting to be freed…and you are powerless to stop us."

"Onua, Pohatu…I fear that…thing…may be right." Onua looked up to see the Turaga of Water approaching at that moment. She came to the two Toa Nuva, taking the Krana Za-Kal from Pohatu.

"Turaga Nokama, what have you discovered?" Onua asked.

The Turaga of Water lifted her trident as she explained. "Our Boxors surprised a Bohrok-Kal long enough to steal its Krana-Kal…and we learned much. These are an elite squad of Bohrok, with only one mission: freeing the Bahrag." Nokama looked down to the slowly writhing creature in her hand, its masked appearance oddly shifting as it squirmed. "And I believe they have found what they seek—for the Bohrok swarms have left the Koro and are returning to their nests, as if obeying a command."

"If Cahdok and Gahdok are freed," Onua realized, "then the swarms are sure to return in force…and without our powers…"

"Onua, look!" Pohatu suddenly cried, having turned around. "Tahnok-Kal is gone! How?"

"The Bohrok Va," Onua answered. "They are serving the Kal. It is the only answer. Remember, we know that they do not rely on Krana for communication and operation, unlike the Bohrok." The Toa Nuva of Earth turned back to the water elder. "Nokama, warn the Koro. They need to know that the Bohrok Va are not loyal to the Matoran. If the Kal really are that much closer to their goal, Pohatu and I must find the others before it's too late."

X X X

But it already was.

"The Bahrag are waiting beyond this barrier," Pahrak-Kal said to itself, as it blasted a rock wall with streams of hot plasma from a nearby terrace. "We are close."

X X X

"Are you two going to tell me what this is about?" Tahu Nuva asked.

Pohatu Nuva could tell that the Fire Toa was reaching the end of his meager store of patience. "Soon, brother," he said soothingly. "It will be easier to discuss it when we're all together."

Onua, who was in the lead, glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "A Matoran told us he saw Gali, Lewa, and Kopaka here in the jungle. We should be with them shortly."

Tahu sighed loudly, but didn't protest further. Pohatu was relieved. If what he and Onua had just learned was true, the Toa Nuva had much more important things to do than bicker among themselves.

Soon they heard voices through the trees, and a moment later the other three Toa Nuva emerged in a clearing. Gali spotted them first. "Brothers!" she called, hurrying toward them. "We've had a rather disturbing experience that we thought you should hear about."

"You're not the only ones," Pohatu replied. "Wait until you hear what Onua and I found out."

"Yes," Tahu said irritably. "I _have_ been waiting for that. Too long."

Onua nodded at Gali and the other two Toa Nuva who had just hurried up behind her. "Why don't you three go first?" he suggested.

"Well, it all began with Gali's idea-plan," Lewa said. "See, she and Kopaka had just help-found me after I had a tangle with the Kohrok-Kal, and—"

"Why don't we try the short version of the story?" Kopaka interrupted. "We merged into Wairuha Nuva. The Bohrok-Kal formed their own Kaita transformation. They beat us."

Lewa rolled his eyes. "Some story-teller you are," he muttered.

Pohatu hardly heard him. He was too shocked by what Kopaka had just said. "The Toa Nuva Kaita," he exclaimed. "And it was no match for the Bohrok-Kal?"

"Not even close," Gali admitted. "Its power—it was astonishing. It disunited us, leaving us helpless. Fortunately it seemed to have no interest in fighting us further and left—heading toward the north."

"We might know why it went that way," Onua said heavily. "Come, let's walk that direction ourselves as we talk—you'll understand why in a moment. Pohatu, why don't you tell them what we learned?"

Pohatu nodded. "With all due respect to brother Kopaka, I think I'll tell the medium-length story," he said. "Onua and I tracked the Tahnok-Kal to the beach on the eastern shore of the island. We hid in the woods nearby and concocted a plan to disable it by reflecting its lightning bolts back over its head toward a tall tree behind the creature. For once, the plan worked perfectly, and the tree had cracked and fallen right on the Tahnok-Kal, trapping it. We were able to remove the Krana-Kal from the creature with little trouble." He paused for just a second. "Then the Krana-Kal spoke to us," Pohatu continued. "It told us we were already too late—that the Bohrok-Kal had learned where Cahdok and Gahdok were trapped."

Lewa gasped. "But we were so sure that the swarm-queens were no more," he exclaimed.

"We mentioned that to the Krana Za-Kal," Onua said wryly. "It seemed quite convinced that we were wrong."

Pohatu nodded. "The Bohrok swarms have left the villages where they were working. All of them seem to be heading back to their nest—as if obeying a command."

Onua nodded. "If we're to have any hope of protecting Mata Nui, we've got to get there before them," he said. "That's why we're heading north—to Po-Wahi."

By this time the group had reached the edge of the jungle. "So we're going back to the tunnel entrance?" Gali asked. "But we've already been there. The tunnel was filled with rocks."

"Yes, we know," Pohatu said. Then he checked his inventory. "But we collectively have all but a couple of Kanohi Nuva now," he pointed out. The Toa had picked them up along the way when not tracking the Bohrok-Kal, with some help from the Turaga. "We might be able to push through somehow, or dig a shortcut into the lair. Just so long as we get down there before the Bohrok-Kal find their way underground."

"What good will that do?" Lewa asked, vaulting over a low wall of tumbled stones, still left unrepaired from the original Bohrok invasion. "Don't you think they can easy-win below-ground as well as above it?"

Kopaka was looking thoughtful. "I know," he spoke up. "The Exo-Toa."

"That's right," Pohatu said. "We don't have our powers, but the Exo-Toa armor will give us strength if we can reach them in time." The others nodded. They all remembered the giant suits of armor that they had encountered underground. The Exo-Toa armor had helped them trap Cahdok and Gahdok. The last they had seen the suits, they were still near the Bahrag's lair.

There was little conversation as the group continued across the plains and deserts of Po-Wahi, each deep in his or her own thoughts. Finally they reached the base of the hill leading to the cave entrance, near the foothills of Mount Ihu. "Almost there," Tahu commented. He led the way up the slope. A moment later all six Toa Nuva stopped short, staring in surprise at the sight before them. The huge pile of rocks that had covered the entrance last time they'd seen it was gone—completely melted. The entrance yawned open, leading down into the darkness.

The Toa Nuva had traced the Bohrok-Kal to the very spot Pahrak-Kal had melted with its plasma. "They have already been here," Kopaka said.

"We will have to follow, and hope we are in time," Tahu answered.

"Has anyone else spot-noticed that every time we go underground, something really dark-bad happens?" the Toa Nuva of Air wondered aloud.

"Be wary," Tahu announced at the head of the company, as the six entered the tunnel. "Remember, we do not have our elemental powers to rely on." He didn't even look over his shoulder as he started forward. "And by the way, Lewa…yes, we have all noticed."


	6. Chapter 6

The tunnel eventually intersected with the other caves of the Bohrok nest with which the heroes were familiar. Silently, the Toa Nuva descended into the chamber where they last saw Cahdok and Gahdok, the Queens of the Bohrok Swarms.

Tahu looked at a new addition to the floor. "This hole is new…the edges are still hot. Lewa, you are the best of us at moving silently…"

"I understand," the Toa of Air replied, stepping over and peering down. "I'll scout ahead."

As he descended lower, Gali came over. "Take care, Lewa…there could be anything down there."

"Thank you, sister-Toa," Lewa nodded. Using his Kanohi Miru Nuva, he descended just enough and maneuvered to get a good look at the odd spectacle before him. "Oh my…" he breathed. "I don't believe it; it's the Exo-Toa, but there's no one inside them!"

Down below, each of the six Exo-Toa that he and his friends had used to corner the Bahrag were now in this lower chamber, but they were running on their own, apparently on some kind of automatic pilot feature that the Toa hadn't known about. Now, they were standing relatively back to back, surrounded by the Kal.

They were losing.

Even the Bohrok-Kal were surprised by this find, however. "Although empty, these suits of armor still oppose us," wondered Kohrok-Kal. "But they will fall before the power of sound!" A batter of concussive sonics blew apart its enemy Exo-Toa.

"Nor can they hope to fight the force of gravity," added the deep-voiced Nuhvok-Kal. Its gravity shields brought the suit of armor flat to the ground before it crumpled into a heap.

"And the magnetic power of Gahlok-Kal means the end of the Exo-Toa!" it shouted, as its power barraged two suits together before ripping them into halves, and then fourths.

With all the Exo-Toa neutralized, the Bohrok-Kal approached an odd cube-shaped item hovering in a column of light in the center of the room. _That must have been what the Exo-Toa were guarding! _Lewa thought, before returning upward to retrieve the other Toa Nuva. Reconnaissance was over—it was time for action.

Below, the Bohrok-Kal continued forward. "Now we will fit the symbols of Nuva Power onto the cube…and Cahdok and Gahdok will be free once more!" Nuhvok-Kal cried, bringing Kopaka Nuva's symbol forward.

Pahrak-Kal approached with Gali Nuva's symbol. "The swarms wait in their nests for the call to rise again."

"The time has come!" Kohrok-Kal announced. "Free the Bahrag!"

X X X

Kopaka looked toward the hole in the floor of the underground chamber. How long had it been since Lewa had levitated down through it? To distract himself, he looked around the underground chamber. It hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen it, just after the defeat of the Bahrag. The only real difference was the jagged hole burned through the floor of where the Toa had confronted Cahdok and Gahdok.

Onua was standing near the hole, his head tipped to one side. "Do you hear something?"

Gali smiled. "None of us have the sensitive hearing or sight that you do, brother," she reminded him. Those two particular heightened senses came with compliment of Onua's power over the earth, and though his elemental powers were gone, his helpful characteristics had remained. "Do _you _hear something?" Gali asked him.

"I'm not sure." Onua frowned, leaning closer to the hole. "Strange, faraway sounds—like shattering glass or stone. I hope Lewa is okay. Maybe we shouldn't have let him go down alone."

"He is the best of all of us at moving quickly and silently," Pohatu reminded him. "Anyway, if he doesn't return soon, we can—"

"Ever-bad sight-news!" Lewa said, popping up out of the hole so suddenly that the waiting Toa Nuva all jumped in surprise. He sounded breathless, and his eyes were wide and worried. "The Bohrok-Kal are down-cave, all right. They're group-standing cube-front with their icon-loot, and the hard-luck Exo-Toa are down-falling ever-quick, and—"

"Wait!" Onua cut him off. "Brother, slow down. And remember that the rest of us are not as quick-minded at understanding your tree-speak," he said, referring to the unique vocabulary of the Le-Matoran that Lewa shared. "What are you trying to tell us?"

Lewa took a deep breath. "True-sorry," he said. "It's just that what I saw was so scary-bad. The Exo-Toa—they were watch-guarding the Bahrag's prison…by themselves."

Kopaka blinked in surprise. The suits of armor—they could act on their own? "Are you sure?" he asked Lewa. "They have some kind of…autopilot function?"

"True-sure," Lewa replied. "They were fighting against the Bohrok-Kal—but have sorry-bad luck at it. I saw the creatures destroy most of the Exo-Toa before I hurry-left to come back."

Gali's eyes were somber. "I see," she said. "What was that you said about a cube?"

"Oh!" Lewa said quickly. "There was a cube—a light-glowing, air-hovering thing. It was in front of the dark-cavern. I couldn't see what was inside the cavern…but I can dread-guess."

"Gahdok and Cahdok," Pohatu said solemnly, voicing what all were thinking.

Lewa nodded. "The cube had shape-carved spaces on each side," he said. "A perfect fit for the power symbols that were stolen from us."

"That must be why the Bohrok-Kal wanted the icons," Onua said, his eyes lighting up with realization. "They must need to fit them into that cube in order to release the Bahrag—it's like a lock of some kind. Our symbols are the key."

"This is bad," Kopaka said. "We'd better get down there and do whatever we can to stop them."

"How?" Pohatu wondered. "We still don't have our powers. It sounds like we don't even have the Exo-Toa option anymore; regardless of how they wound up guarding the cube, they were defeated by the Bohrok-Kal. All we have are a few paltry mask powers."

"Yes, a few mask powers," Gali said. "And our wits. And our duty."

Tahu strode toward the hole. "And that will have to be enough."

_A few paltry mask powers,_ Tahu thought as he levitated down the long, dark tunnel. _If the others only knew about the not-so-paltry mask power I hold_—_but is now finally the time to reveal it? _He thought back to that moment in the Ta-Suva. He could almost hear Vakama's solemn words echoing in his head: _he who controls time controls reality_—_controls everything. _Tahu grimaced. Was he ready to control everything? Could anyone ever be truly ready for that—even a powerful Toa Nuva?

Tahu slowed his descent as the lower cavern came into view. All six of the Bohrok-Kal were there, gathered around the floating cube. What was left of the Exo-Toa lay scattered on the stone floor nearby—most of the suits had been pulled to pieces.

Lewa rushed forward with the other Toa, he and Tahu now in the lead. "They are too absorbed by their task to notice us, but that can't last," he rapidly informed.

Tahu spoke over his running strides. "Even with our full power, I doubt we could stop them in—" His voice stopped abruptly. Suddenly, he could not bring himself to say the now-alien word.

The six Toa Nuva now stood several yards from the Bohrok-Kal, their mission nearly achieved. "We must try, Tahu," Lewa implored.

"There must be _something _we can do," Gali said.

Tahu took a deep breath, suddenly feeling in his heart that the decision was already made. It had been destined—all he had to do was accept it. He closed his eyes, then opened them with resolve. "There is," he said.

X X X

Gali glanced at Tahu, wondering what the Fire Toa had in mind. She gasped as she saw his mask begin to glow a fiery orange and morph into an odd, primitive shape. "Tahu!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Something I hoped I would never have to do," Tahu replied hollowly. "Something that could mean the end of everything. I call upon—the Legendary Mask of Time!"

Lewa was so amazed he had to be sure he heard right. "Tahu," he began, "is that really—?"

"Yes," the Fire Toa answered. "I have summoned the Mask of Time. It's the only way."

Gali felt her heart constrict with terror. "Then you may have doomed us all," she whispered bleakly.

She was distracted by an echoing voice drifting up from the cavern below. "Free us, my children!" it wailed joyfully.

"Yes!" a second voice joined the first from inside the protodermis cage. "Unlock this prison, my children, and set us free!"

"The Bohrok Queens," Tahu said. "I'm going in." Without waiting for agreement, he rushed forward off the terrace they had landed on. Gali followed along with the other Toa. Soon she was close enough to see into the cavern beyond the cube, where the enormous, monstrous forms of Cahdok and Gahdok were barely visible beyond a hazy wall.

The Bahrag soon spotted the Toa Nuva as well. "You are too late!" Cahdok howled, her words slightly garbled by the mass of protodermis that was holding her hostage.

"We have already been touched by the Krana Xa-Kal," Gahdok hissed. "They have only to fit the icons into the cube to dissolve our prison!"

As her feet touched the stone floor, Gali glanced worriedly at Tahu. He was standing beside her, his head bowed in concentration. "You see, Gali, I must use this power," he said. "I must master it…or all is lost."

Gali looked from him to the Bohrok-Kal. "But if you fail," she said urgently, "more than Mata Nui will fall. All of reality may be undone!"

The Vahi glowed brightly as Tahu began concentrating on the Kanohi's energies. "Then…I will not…fail!" he said grimly, activating the Kanohi's abilities and calling forth on the slowing of time. With enormous effort, he directed the flow to the Bohrok-Kal.

Gali held her breath as a ripple of energy radiated out from Tahu's new mask. The air seemed to quiver as the energy of time itself moved through it. The Vahi's energy struck the Bohrok-Kal just as they raised their clawed arms to move the icons into place. Their movements slowed more and more, until the motion was barely perceptible.

"It's working!" Onua cried in relief. "The power of the Vahi has slowed time around them…they are virtually frozen."

For a moment, Gali shared his joy. Then she glanced at Tahu. His hands were clenched into fists, and every muscle of his body quivered uncontrollably. "I can't…hold back time…much longer!" Tahu gasped, his voice twisted with exertion. He had already begun to strain from holding the six beings still. "Go! Get our symbols back!"

The other five Toa Nuva leaped forward as one. As Gali headed toward the Nuhvok-Kal, she could see its Krana-Kal. Despite the time slow-down, it still appeared to be pulsing evenly. Gali paused, staring at it as it shimmered and glowed. Was the time mutation playing tricks with her eyes, or was it—changing? "Hold on," she said to the others. "Something's happening. Their Krana-Kal are changing—turning silver."

The other Toa, too, could now see the Krana-Kal shapes in the Kal's headplates. The common Bohrok had clear plates, but the Bohrok-Kal had solid metal plates. Now, though, the Krana-Kal glowed so bright their shapes shown through the protective covering.

Kopaka moved forward for a better look. He was stopped a short distance away, as if he'd just run into a wall. "A field of energy surrounds them," he said grimly. "We should have expected this. In the final moments before they complete their task, they must be protected from all harm. Even the slowing of time could not stop it…"

Onua grabbed a large piece of rock from the wall. "Forgive me if I test your theory, Kopaka," he said, hurling the chunk of stone at Nuhvok-Kal with all his might. The stone struck the force field and disintegrated.

Gali shook her head worriedly as she glanced at Tahu, who was still shaking with the effort to control the Legendary Mask of Time. Lewa shuddered. "Then…it's over," he murmured. "Even when we still had our powers, we were barely able to fight-snare the Bahrag at their ordinary strength. We've failed. Failed our villages, our people…"

For once, words seemed to desert the Air Toa, and he merely shook his head to complete his point. Gali glanced around the group. The other Toa Nuva looked just as dejected as Lewa. Onua was staring in disbelief at the spot where the stone had disintegrated. Nearby, Pohatu was shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other. Kopaka said nothing as usual, staring fixedly at the Bahrag in their glutinous cage. And for the first time since she'd known him, Gali saw defeat lurking in Tahu's eyes. But Gali herself was not yet ready to give up. Unity—duty—destiny—so far, the Matoran creed had never failed them.

"No…no. We haven't! Remember," she said thoughtfully, "we have always had the most success when we have been willing to dig deep inside our hearts and risk _everything_—even our very selves…"

The other Toa stared at Gali, confused. "What do you mean?" Pohatu asked her.

"Our powers!" Gali explained, her eyes lighting with hope. "Remember, the Matoran were right: there is a link between the Nuva Symbols and ourselves. If the essence of our powers is housed in those symbols, maybe we can use that against the Bohrok-Kal!"

Tahu stared at her as the power of the Vahi began to waver and weaken. Tahu himself was weakening, also. "How?" he asked, pushing out the single word with effort.

"We need to pool our willpower," Gali said. "Reach out to our symbols. Even if it means freeing the Bohrok-Kal from the power of the Vahi."

Tahu shook his head, not understanding. He was tired—so tired. Perhaps it was time to give up, to allow the Vahi to overwhelm him…

"Tahu!" Kopaka said sharply. "The mask—you have to send it away _now_."

The Ice Toa's voice was always enough to set Tahu on edge. Now it broke through the haze in his mind. _Who is he to tell me what to do? _But Kopaka was right. The Vahi had served its purpose. "Vahi," he croaked, "be gone!"

He nearly collapsed as the intense time power released him and the Vahi faded away, going back to storage in Tahu's consciousness. Pohatu reached forward to catch him. "Easy, brother," the Stone Toa said. "There you go. Now come on, pull yourself together—we have work to do."

Tahu nodded, pulling in a deep breath of relief. "I am ready," he said.

The Bohrok-Kal, released from the time entrapment of the Vahi, were beginning to stir. "Hurry," Onua said urgently. "We don't have much time."

The Toa Nuva turned to face the cube. Tahu could already feel his strength flowing back into him. He gathered that energy, pushing it outward toward the power symbols. Around him, he could feel the other Toa Nuva doing the same.

Tahu never felt such an intense wave of energy. But would it work? Would their combined power stop the Bohrok-Kal? A glow surrounded the Toa, growing brighter with every passing second. Slowly, the glow took separate form, moving forward toward the Bohrok-Kal. It neared the force field surrounding the Bohrok-Kal, which their Krana-Kal were still holding steady. "Concentrate!" Tahu urged the others, as they began extending their arms toward the Kal. "We must break through!" He could see that the power symbols were beginning to glow in response to the Toa Nuva's energy. The glow pulsed outward, surrounding the Bohrok-Kal.

"What is happening?" Nuhvok-Kal said in its metallic voice. It was about to fit Gali's symbol into the cube when it stopped and pulled away. "I feel more powerful—stronger! The Toa Nuva symbols are feeding us energy!" Beside it, Tahnok-Kal started glowing as elemental power visibly floated from Pohatu's symbol to its headplate and shields.

_I hope this works, _Tahu thought, as the Bohrok-Kal all pulled the icons back from the cube, gazing at them in wonder. _If not, we might have given the enemy even more power than it already had…. _

The Lehvak-Kal held up Kopaka's icon high over its head. "Yes!" it said. "Cahdok and Gahdok do not even need the swarms—with this power, we six alone could return Mata Nui to the Before-Time."

"No!" Gahdok howled. "My children, do not be distracted from your task!"

But the Bohrok-Kal seemed not to hear her. "We will rule beside the Bahrag!" the Gahlok-Kal cried, its body and shields pulsing. "We will—" It shuddered, the energy turning darker. Its shields wouldn't stop glowing, and they began to vibrate.

"What is happening?" the Tahnok-Kal wailed as its body quivered uncontrollably, waves of energy rippling and sparking over it.

"Good question," Pohatu whispered.

The Bohrok-Kal were all convulsing by now. "No!" the Gahlok-Kal shrieked as its body lurched. "Too much power—can't control!"

"Toa Nuva! Guardians of Mata Nui, how could you be so blind as to do this? First you betray us, and now you continue to fight the return!?" Cahdok roared.

"You fools!" Gahdok roared from within her prison to the Bohrok-Kal. "You have been tricked!"

Gali saw what was happening and decided to capitalize on it. Jumping into the air, she levitated using her Kanohi Miru Nuva long enough to extend both her arms toward the symbol again. "Yes," she said calmly from the head of the group. "You wanted our power, monsters. Now let us see if you can handle it!"

The Nuhvok-Kal dropped the symbol it was holding. "So much power," the Nuhvok-Kal moaned. "Can't control my energies…gravity crushing me…" It began to fold in on its core.

Tahu gasped as the Nuhvok-Kal's powerful body began to crumple and fold in upon itself. "It's throwing out an uncontrolled gravity field—it's going to crush itself!"

"Bahrag, aid us!" the Nuhvok-Kal pleaded, its voice distorted by the weight crushing down on it. "Before it is—" But the Bahrag, still imprisoned, could do nothing as the unleashed power of gravity continued to grow. "—tooooo laaaaaaaate…" was the last sound the black Bohrok-Kal made. The last word trailed off into nothingness. The gravitational force had finally overwhelmed it, compressing the creature into a miniature black hole in the middle of the chamber. When the Bohrok-Kal was destroyed, the gravity power ceased.

Lewa gasped. "It's away-gone!" he murmured in amazement.

Tahu didn't respond. He was watching the Pahrak-Kal, which was struggling against its own power overload. It hurled its Toa Nuva icon far away, hoping to stop the massive influx of power to its form, but it was too late. The Pahrak-Kal's armored body was glowing with a plasma-fueled heat so intense that the stone floor started to melt beneath its feet. "I will contain this power!" The Pahrak-Kal sounded drippy and slow, as if it, too, were melting. "I am Pahrak-Kal! I cannot be defeated!" it shouted defiantly. But it, too, could not escape nor control the energies it had absorbed. "NOOOOO!" it wailed, as it melted and liquefied into plasma. A moment later, the floor beneath the Pahrak-Kal gave way entirely, and the creature dropped away through the pool of lava and out of sight.

Tahu glanced toward the cube just in time to see the Gahlok-Kal vainly stepping toward it, one of the power icons still clutched in its hand. "Uh-oh," Tahu said, pointing.

"The Bahrag will be free!" the Gahlok-Kal cried, still hoping to fit at least one symbol in place. "You cannot defeat me with my own power!" it feebly screeched, despite its comrades' demises.

"Should we do something?" Lewa wondered aloud.

Tahu shook his head. "One symbol will not free the Bahrag," he said. "It would need to collect all six of them. And I suspect that's going to be harder than it realizes…even the Bohrok-Kal can be mistaken."

At that moment they all became aware that the pieces of shattered Exo-Toa armor were moving. "Look!" Gali said. "It's the Gahlok-Kal's magnetic energy. It's going to—"

Before she could finish the sentence, the Exo-Toa pieces suddenly shot toward the Gahlok-Kal, pulled there by the creature's pulsing magnetic force gone wild. "Oh no…" Gahlok-Kal muttered, a split second before the pieces struck. _KRAASSSHHH! _went the Bohrok-Kal's form as it was shredded underneath the pelting of flying debris. The magnetic field lasted long enough for the Exo-Toa pieces to come back to surround and then crush what little remained.

Tahu had turned to watch the Lehvak-Kal. The incredible vacuum forces it was emitting, uncontrolled, finally overwhelmed it, sending it shooting upward like a rocket. It smashed through the cavern ceiling where it disappeared. Onua could hear the limbs and body of the Bohrok-Kal shell crashing and being torn apart as it carved a new underground passageway. It didn't just stop after hurtling through the ceiling, however; his hearing picked up that Lehvak-Kal also continued upward through seven more floors and chambers above before reaching the outside sky. After that, it was a safe guess that the prospect of it returning to the surface would not be a concern.

The Tahnok-Kal had teetered over to a corner of the cave. There, it stood locked into place, a prisoner of its own electrical forces, which swirled around it and formed a constant shimmer of concentrated lightning.

Onua nodded toward the helpless creature. "I expect that one will stay there until it finally runs out of energy entirely."

Kopaka nudged him and pointed at the Tahnok-Kal again. "Perhaps not." The Tahnok-Kal was still vibrating from the electricity, but it was obvious that it was now shorting out its own motor functions in its mechanical form, until it fell limp. With the Krana-Kal fried and the motors in the armor destroyed, an empty shell laid still.

That meant the only Bohrok-Kal left was the Kohrok-Kal. It was standing near the cube, buffeted by waves of undilated sound. The sonic forces were so focused around their core that Tahu could hear nothing but faint _zips _and _kreeees_. But he shuddered to imagine what it must sound like to the creature trapped within its own sonic vortex. As he watched, the Kohrok-Kal's body shuddered and gave way to the pressure, crumbling into dust before the pummeling sound waves. Only its silvery Krana Ja-Kal escaped, scuttling away into the shadows.

And the heroes of Mata Nui still stood, weary but whole.

The six power symbols lay on the floor. Slowly, the glow that had surrounded them faded away, and the cavern was still. Lewa let out a long breath. "The Bohrok-Kal," he said. "Are they…?"

"They did not live as we understand life, so they cannot die," Kopaka answered. "But, they have been defeated."

Tahu nodded. "Did you see that Krana-Kal escaping?" he asked.

"I did," Gali said. "I expect the others managed to get away, too. But I don't think we need to worry. Without the Bohrok-Kal to house them, the Krana-Kal will remain powerless."

"Then we have won!" Tahu said, hardly daring to believe it.

Kopaka nodded. "It seems so," he said, his cool voice tinged with admiration. "Thanks to our wise sister. How did you know, Gali?"

Gali shrugged. She shook her head, glancing down before looking back at the Toa of Ice. "I didn't," she admitted. "I gambled that tapping the power of the symbols would feed the Bohrok-Kal more energy than they could control. In the end, the only power that could defeat them was their own."

"Interesting. Just a few days ago, you talked of the need to control our powers…and our tempers," Kopaka commented. "Very wise, Toa of Water."

Gali nodded her thanks, then turned toward Tahu, who now wore his Hau Nuva once again. "There's one thing I don't understand," she said. "The Vahi—where did you get it?"

"Vakama gave it to me, a long time ago," Tahu said, "along with a warning—that its power might be too great for even a Toa to wield." He sighed. "He was nearly right."

Gali kept the remark about Tahu admitting the reality of 'too much power' to her thoughts alone. Instead, she smiled. They had all grown, in some ways more obvious than others, but she was glad to be among these fellow Toa once more.

As Tahu remembered the surge of power that the Kanohi Vahi had sent through him, a surge of energy welled up. He held his sword, seeing flames dancing along its length. Hardly daring to believe what he saw, he pointed the sword at a nearby rock, blasting it with flames.

Kopaka was watching him. "So our powers have returned," he smiled. He retrieved his Nuva Symbol, prompting the others to do the same. Glancing toward the cavern ceiling, he pointed his own two-sided ice blade. It glowed white, then, a moment later, an icy staircase formed from the ground up, leading out of the cavern. "Let us leave this place, Toa. The Turaga will know what to do with the Krana-Kal."

Tahu led the other Toa Nuva toward the icy staircase. The Bahrag were once again safely contained in their underground prison. It was time for the Toa Nuva to return to the surface.


	7. Chapter 7

A long walk brought the Toa Nuva back to the surface of Mata Nui. None of them could relax before the first rays of sun penetrated the dark tunnel—a sign they were at last reaching the surface ground. Once safely above, the six Toa sank to the ground in relief.

Pohatu breathed a long, clean breath of the sandy and rocky air. "The Bohrok-Kal are defeated…the Bahrag are still imprisoned…and the Bohrok swarms are asleep in their nests again. A job well done, team!"

"But we have never come closer to defeat, Pohatu," Gali reminded him. "I think perhaps we all have a great deal to think about." Gali glanced at Tahu with unease, still trying to process what he had just revealed—still trying to understand how he had kept the Legendary Mask of Time a secret for so long. What other secrets might he be hiding? But she suppressed her concern—now was not the time. Instead, forcing a smile, she turned to her fellow Toa Nuva and said, "Well, brothers, what do you think? Will we be able to put Mata Nui right again?"

"Of course," Tahu said. "I think we've finally learned our lesson."

"What lesson?" Lewa said. "You mean the lesson that a Toa's work is never done?"

Pohatu chuckled. "No, he's probably talking about the lesson that we should always pay attention to Gali's hunches."

"Or that only bad-yuck things happen underground," Lewa added, grinning.

"Yes, all of those lessons, brothers," Tahu said with a smile. "But also the most important one of all. Don't you get it?"

"I know what you're thinking, brother," Gali said, hoping she was right. "Three little words, right?"

Kopaka nodded, speaking up for the first time since Tahu's speech had ended. "Unity, duty, destiny," he said.

"Right," Tahu said. "When we keep those three words in mind, the Toa Nuva can do _anything_!"

X X X

_Wall of History, Record 14—Defeat of the Bohrok-Kal_

**THE TOA NUVA TRIUMPH AGAIN!**

_By the time the Toa reached the lair of the Bahrag, the Bohrok-Kal had already arrived—and departed. They had melted through the floor to the cave below, where the Queens had been trapped since their defeat. The trail of the Bohrok-Kal led them deep underground, straight to the Bohrok Queens' lair. They finally understood their sinister plot—they wished to use the Nuva Symbols to free the Bahrag and release the Swarms on the island of Mata Nui once again. Strangely, the Bahrag were being guarded by the Exo-Toa without any Toa to operate them. How and why the Exo-Toa came to be there would remain a mystery, for the powerful devices were swiftly defeated by the might of the Bohrok-Kal._

_To free the Queens, the Bohrok-Kal needed to touch Cahdok and Gahdok with their Krana Xa-Kal and place the stolen Nuva symbols upon the cube in the cavern's center. When the Toa Nuva arrived, the Kal had already completed the first part of their task! _

_When all seemed lost, and the Bohrok-Kal raised the stolen Nuva Symbols to the Nuva Cube, the Toa Nuva quickly used their secret weapon: the Kanohi Vahi, the Legendary Mask of Time. Tahu Nuva called upon it at the last moment, using its temporal power to halt time. Using the Vahi was very dangerous, and Tahu knew that if he lost control, it could mean the unbinding of all reality. Time slowed, but the Bohrok-Kal were protected by a powerful energy field and could not be harmed. Though the Bohrok-Kal were invulnerable, the Vahi bought the Toa Nuva the chance they needed. Acting fast, and in a desperate act, they took one last gamble and channeled their energy through their symbols by focusing their will, sending all their power straight into the Kal._

_Energized by the elemental strength of the Toa at levels too great for the Bohrok-Kal to master, their powers raged out of control, incapacitating or destroying their nonliving shells. The Krana-Kal yet lived, but without their Bohrok hosts, they are no longer a threat. _

_As the Toa Nuva reclaimed their symbols, they felt their powers surge through them once more. With their powers restored, they made their way to the surface and prepared to return to their villages, traveling aboveground. Another threat to Mata Nui has been defeated! _

_The Bahrag remain imprisoned. _

_The Swarms will not awaken this day._

_-Takua, The Chronicler-_

X X X

As the Toa and Matoran returned to their villages, the Turaga met to speak of destiny. Just a few days later, they summoned all the Matoran to the Kini-Nui. The six elders stood high on the Amaja-Nui of the temple, waiting patiently for the numbers to arrive. Once they had all gathered—every Matoran from across the island—Turaga Vakama raised his staff into the air to request the congregation's attention. There, the Turaga made this proclamation: that all Matoran would receive a great gift from Mata Nui, testament of their courage and unity.

Huki and Maku exchanged glances, wondering what this could mean. The Ga-Matoran simply shrugged. Next to her, Kotu looked on intently, also curious at how the Turaga could have enough of any 'gift' to give to every Matoran. Hafu cocked his head, scratching the back of it in question. Matoro and Kopeke stood as stock figures, arms at their sides and patiently listening for the next reveal. Along with them were Tamaru, Kongu, Onepu, Hahli, Nuparu…everyone. Puku looked around at the Matoran crowd curiously, wondering where Takua was—it was odd that at such a gathering, he wasn't at her side.

It was then that Vakama and Matau stepped to the side, allowing a gap to form between them. Through that gap and from out of sight, two figures proudly emerged. Nokama smiled as she watched them stop on the edge of the Amaja-Nui.

The Matoran congregation gasped collectively, jumping in surprise and wonder. Huki, one of those closest to the front, still stepped forward to make sure he knew what he was seeing. Beside him, Maku quickly rubbed the eyeholes on her mask to make sure they, too, were functioning properly. She blinked three times to confirm.

From the blinding sunlight behind, the two figures were revealed to wear the familiar Kanohi of Takua and Jala…but they barely looked like Takua and Jala. Their large feet were no longer stoutly connected completely to their torsos, but they actually had accentuated _legs. _Their bodies, too, were broader across the chest and longer, resulting in stronger and taller forms. Their arms were completely symmetrical in form, rather than having one specifically devoted to flinging weapons.

In their impressive new appearances, Takua turned left to Jala, with a wide and proud smile behind his mask. Jala returned it with a grin and sideways glance before raising his left arm high, ending in a fist. Takua did the same, jabbing his right arm victoriously into the air, causing the Matoran to jump excitedly with joy, break out into song and dance, and cheer.

X X X

Nokama stood up from her work on Hahli. The Rebuilding had started slow, but gotten faster as it progressed. The Turaga had started with only a handful of Matoran, but once they were finished, those improved villagers would go on and repair others, showing them the process, and those would show others, and so on. The knowledge, and results, soon quickly spread.

It was time for the next item of celebration. "Brave Matoran," she began to the assembled congregation, "you have weathered a time of challenges with courage, spirit, and unity. We wish especially to recognize those who stood against the Bohrok in the final battle against the swarms. In the face of darkness, you were a beacon of light for us all."

Vakama raised his staff. "The defenders of Ga-Koro shall receive a special honor on this Naming Day. Even as the Toa became the Toa Nuva, so too will these heroes have new names when their tale is carved in the chronicles on our Wall of History."

The Matoran immediately quieted. The custom of changing names had arisen in order to commemorate deeds certain Matoran had done. Naming Day was a biannual holiday, but Matoran weren't always awarded name alterations (though they still appreciated the day off of work). The coincidence with the Bohrok Wars proved to make this day extra special.

Jala was the first to be called. "Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard," Vakama declared with pride. "Your valor and dedication to duty are an example to all. Continue to lead as you have, and know that the Matoran's faith is strong in you. When your name is inscribed upon the Wall of History, you shall be known as Jaller!"

As the crowd cheered, Huki of Po-Koro and Maku of Ga-Koro too were granted new names. "Huki, an excellent athlete who put his exceptional skills to work saving his friend, will be known as Hewkii!" Turaga Onewa called. More cheers of support rang out as the Po-Matoran ascended and descended the Amaja-Nui in recognition.

"Maku of Ga-Koro, who nearly sacrificed herself to save her village and her people will be known as Macku!" Nokama announced. Macku, too, walked by the elders for all to see.

At last, Vakama called one final name. "Chronicler Takua…"

Takua ran excitedly up the steps to meet with the village leaders, bowing respectfully when in view of every Matoran. "Yes, Turaga?"

Vakama put his hand on the scribe's shoulder proudly. "Inscribe these names upon the Wall of History in Ta-Koro, as is your duty," he said sternly. "And try to spell them correctly."

X X X

_Wall of History, Record 15—Naming Day_

**HONORING THE HEROES OF GA-KORO**

_These last few weeks have been peaceful ones; the Toa Nuva have had time to think, to rest, and to heal. Many days have been spent in training, repairing Koro defenses, or attending Matoran competitions. _

_Mata Nui has bestowed a great gift upon his people. Through the teachings of the Turaga, the Matoran have been transformed, rebuilt, becoming stronger and more agile, better able to defend their villages from danger. Jaller and myself were the first to be rebuilt and displayed to our friends, earning cheers of hope and excitement like never before. The rest of the Matoran were subsequently rebuilt, and we entered a time of peace. _

_Immediately thereafter, the Turaga made a momentous announcement in the celebration of Naming Day. Jaller, Macku, and Hewkii received new names as a prestige for their efforts during the Bohrok Invasion. With new forms to enjoy everywhere and at all times, and with chronicles of happiness filling the Wall of History, fortune is shining down on us and the island of Mata Nui. _

_Now it is truly a time of great festivity and celebration. Matoran from all across Mata Nui gather in Po-Koro to exchange gifts and goods and to play in the village tournaments. After much consultation with Pohatu Nuva, Turaga Onewa has announced that a new form of Koli, played with Ga-Koro net-staffs, is to become the official Po-Koro sport of Kolhii. This was inspired by the heroic act of _ _Huk _ _Hewkii, when he saved Macku using a Ga-Koro net. It quickly caught on with the other Matoran, and the elder and Toa Nuva decided to make it official. _

_As for me, Takua the Chronicler, who it seems shall forever remain only Takua the Chronicler, I too have held a small ceremony of naming. From this day forward, whenever her deeds are written on the great Wall of History, the faithful Ussal crab Puku shall be known by the name of Pewku. _

_The Time of Troubles has at last come to an end. Let a new Era of Peace be proclaimed! _

_-Takua, The Chronicler-_

X X X

Takua finished chiseling the entire tale into the Wall of History, standing back up to his full height. With some interior pride, he looked at his depiction of the temple of Kini-Nui. Hearing footsteps to his side, he turned to see Jaller approaching. Jaller silently reflected on the drawing, smiling at his own reflection of the exciting time. Then the two looked at each other, simply nodding in acceptance and pride of the new age. Turning around, they surveyed the rest of their home, where other rebuilt Ta-Matoran walked to and fro. Many were smiling, optimistic, or laughing.

What none of them could have known, however, was that the dark and powerful being called Makuta, hidden behind a mask of darkness far from any Matoran, was laughing, too.

_To be continued in "Bionicle - Phase 02: Illumination - Part II: The Era of Peace"..._

_(The Bohrok-Kal Strike was compiled from the online serial The Wall of History; the book Chronicles 3: Makuta's Revenge; Graphic Novel 2: Challenge of the Rahkshi, containing Comics 9-12: Divided We Fall, Powerless!, A Matter of Time..., and Absolute Power; and the Bohrok-Kal Online Animations) _


End file.
